Drink This Week: The Patiala Peg – Recipe
Folklore has it that during 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was adamant that his cricket team would win over a visiting English side. To secure an advantage, he hosted a grand party the night before the match, where he served his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These were famously generous four-finger measure whisky pours, traditionally gauged from little finger to forefinger. Unsurprisingly, the English players overindulged, resulting in them being extremely hungover and, consequently, defeated the following day. In this way, the legend of the Patiala peg was born.
This inspired variation of Old Fashioned cocktail takes its cue from the Maharaja's beverage. In our establishment, we present it from a specially crafted large-format bottle, but we've adapted the instructions to make it more suitable for a household environment.
Patiala Peg
Produces 1 litre, to serve 10-12 portions.
You Will Need
- 725g blended Scotch
- 130g sugar syrup
- 6g Angostura bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
- A small pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Preparation
Combine all the ingredients in a large bottle. Include 130g water, agitate thoroughly, then put it in the fridge. It will now keep for as long as a few weeks.
For serving, dispense about 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a short glass containing ice (traditionally one big block). Enjoy straight away. To honour tradition, you could measure it in by hand instead.
