Cocktail This Week: The Patiala Peg Cocktail – How to Make It
Folklore claims that during 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was determined that his cricket team would triumph over a touring English squad. To secure an advantage, he threw a lavish party on the eve of the match, at which he presented his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These were incredibly generous four-finger measure whisky pours, traditionally measured from little finger to forefinger. As expected, the English players overindulged, leaving them very the worse for wear and, consequently, vanquished the following day. Thus, the story of the Patiala peg came to be.
This Punjabi kind-of Old Fashioned cocktail is inspired by the Maharaja's concoction. In our establishment, we offer it from a specially crafted five-litre bottle, but we've adapted the formula to make it easier for a household setting.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Makes 1 litre, serving 10-12 drinks.
You Will Need
- 725g Scotch whisky blend
- 130g sugar syrup
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
- A pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Method
Combine all the ingredients in a large bottle. Include 130g water, agitate thoroughly, then place it in the fridge. It can be stored for as long as 21 days.
For serving, dispense approximately 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a old fashioned glass filled with ice (ideally one large cube). Drink straight away. To honour tradition, you could measure it in by hand as they did.
