Drink of the Week: The Patiala Peg – Recipe
Legend suggests that back in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was determined that his cricket team would win over a touring English team. To secure an advantage, he organized a grand party the night before the match, at which he presented his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These were incredibly large four-finger measure whisky pours, historically gauged from pinky to index finger. Predictably, the English players drank too much, resulting in them being extremely hungover and, consequently, vanquished the day after. In this way, the myth of the Patiala peg was born.
This take on a variation of Old Fashioned cocktail is inspired by that original beverage. In our establishment, we present it from a bespoke large-format bottle, but we've modified the recipe to make it easier for a household kitchen.
Patiala Peg
Makes 1 litre, serving 10-12 portions.
What's Required
- 725g Scotch whisky blend
- 130g sugar syrup
- 6g Angostura bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
- A small pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Method
Place all the ingredients in a large bottle. Pour in 130g water, stir thoroughly, then transfer it in the refrigerator. It can be stored for about a few weeks.
To serve, pour approximately 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a short glass containing ice (traditionally one large cube). Serve immediately. To honour tradition, you could measure it in by hand instead.
