Cocktail for This Week: The Patiala Peg Cocktail – Recipe
Folklore claims that back in 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was set that his team would succeed over a visiting English side. For a competitive edge, he threw a grand party on the eve of the match, at which he presented his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These are incredibly generous four-finger measure whisky pours, historically measured from pinky to index finger. Unsurprisingly, the English players partook excessively, resulting in them being terribly the worse for wear and, consequently, beaten the next day. Thus, the myth of the Patiala peg came to be.
This inspired spin on the old fashioned draws inspiration from Singh's drink. In our establishment, we serve it from a specially crafted large-format bottle, but we've adjusted the instructions to make it more suitable for a household kitchen.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Yields 1 litre, enough for 10-12 drinks.
You Will Need
- 725g blended scotch whisky
- 130g sugar syrup (1:1)
- 6g Angostura bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A dash of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Preparation
Put everything in a sizeable jug. Add 130g water, mix to combine, then transfer it in the refrigerator. You can store it for up to 21 days.
When ready to drink, pour approximately 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a old fashioned glass filled with ice (traditionally one big block). Enjoy immediately. To honour tradition, you could measure it in by hand for authenticity.
