Drink for This Week: The Patiala Peg Cocktail – How to Make It
Legend has it that in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was adamant that his team would succeed over a visiting English squad. To gain the upper hand, he threw a grand party on the eve of the match, at which he offered his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These were notoriously large four-finger measure whisky pours, customarily poured from pinky to index finger. Unsurprisingly, the English players overindulged, leaving them extremely the worse for wear and, consequently, defeated the next day. Thus, the myth of the Patiala peg originated.
This Punjabi variation of old fashioned draws inspiration from the Maharaja's drink. In our establishment, we serve it from a specially crafted five-litre bottle, but we've modified the formula to make it easier for a household setting.
Patiala Peg
Produces 1 litre, serving 10-12 people.
You Will Need
- 725g Scotch whisky blend
- 130g sugar syrup (1:1)
- 6g Angostura bitters (approximately 1â…“ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (approximately â…• tsp)
- A small pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Method
Combine everything in a sizeable jug. Pour in 130g water, agitate to combine, then put it in the fridge. It will now keep for about three weeks.
For serving, pour about 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a old fashioned glass containing ice (preferably one large cube). Serve promptly. To honour tradition, you could pour it using your fingers instead.
