Drink of the Week: The Patiala Peg Cocktail – How to Make It
Folklore suggests that during 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was determined that his cricket team would succeed over a visiting English side. For a competitive edge, he hosted a lavish party the night before the match, at which he offered his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These were famously large four-finger measure whisky pours, customarily poured from pinky to index finger. Predictably, the English players partook excessively, resulting in them being extremely the worse for wear and, consequently, vanquished the day after. And so, the myth of the Patiala peg came to be.
This Punjabi spin on the old fashioned draws inspiration from Singh's concoction. Here, we serve it from a specially crafted large-format bottle, but we've adapted the formula to make it more suitable for a household environment.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Produces 1 litre, serving 10-12 portions.
What's Required
- 725g Scotch whisky blend
- 130g sugar syrup
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A dash of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Preparation
Combine all the ingredients in a big container. Pour in 130g water, stir until fully incorporated, then put it in the fridge. It can be stored for about 21 days.
When ready to drink, dispense approximately 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a old fashioned glass containing ice (traditionally one big block). Serve immediately. For a traditional touch, you could measure it in by hand as they did.
