Cocktail This Week: The Patiala Peg – How to Make It
Legend claims that in 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was determined that his cricket team would win over a touring English side. For a competitive edge, he organized a lavish party the night before the match, where he presented his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These are famously large four-finger measure whisky pours, customarily gauged from little finger to forefinger. Unsurprisingly, the English players partook excessively, leaving them very the worse for wear and, consequently, defeated the following day. And so, the story of the Patiala peg came to be.
This take on a kind-of old fashioned draws inspiration from that original beverage. At the restaurant, we offer it from a specially crafted large-format bottle, but we've adjusted the formula to make it more suitable for a domestic setting.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Yields 1 litre, enough for 10-12 people.
You Will Need
- 725g blended scotch whisky
- 130g sugar syrup
- 6g Angostura bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Method
Combine everything in a big container. Add 130g water, agitate until fully incorporated, then put it in the fridge. It will now keep for up to 21 days.
When ready to drink, dispense about 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a short glass packed with ice (ideally one large cube). Serve straight away. If you're feeling traditional, you could measure it in by hand as they did.
