Drink of the Week: The Patiala Peg – How to Make It
Legend has it that in 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was determined that his cricket team would succeed over a touring English team. To secure an advantage, he threw a lavish party on the eve of the match, at which he served his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These are notoriously substantial four-finger measure whisky servings, traditionally gauged from pinky to index finger. As expected, the English players drank too much, leaving them extremely hungover and, consequently, beaten the following day. In this way, the story of the Patiala peg came to be.
This take on a kind-of Old Fashioned cocktail is inspired by that original beverage. Here, we offer it from a custom-made five-litre bottle, but we've adjusted the formula to make it more suitable for a home kitchen.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Yields 1 litre, to serve 10-12 portions.
What's Required
- 725g blended Scotch
- 130g sugar syrup
- 6g Angostura bitters (approximately 1â…“ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (approximately â…• tsp)
- A dash of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Method
Combine all the ingredients in a sizeable jug. Pour in 130g water, mix thoroughly, then put it in the refrigerator. It will now keep for about three weeks.
For serving, pour roughly 90ml of the infused whisky into a short glass packed with ice (ideally one big block). Serve straight away. For a traditional touch, you could use the four-finger measure for authenticity.
