Drink for This Week: The Patiala Peg – How to Make It
Folklore suggests 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 organized a splendid party the night before the match, at which he served his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These were famously large four-finger measure whisky servings, customarily poured from little finger to forefinger. As expected, the English players partook excessively, leaving them extremely hungover and, consequently, vanquished the next day. Thus, the legend of the Patiala peg was born.
This inspired spin on the old fashioned is inspired by the Maharaja's beverage. In our establishment, we serve it from a bespoke five-litre bottle, but we've adapted the instructions to make it more suitable for a household environment.
Patiala Peg
Makes 1 litre, to serve 10-12 portions.
What's Required
- 725g Scotch whisky blend
- 130g sugar syrup
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (about 1â…“ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (approximately â…• tsp)
- A dash of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Preparation
Put everything in a big container. Include 130g water, agitate to combine, then put it in the fridge. It can be stored for about 21 days.
For serving, dispense roughly 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a short glass packed with ice (ideally one large cube). Enjoy immediately. If you're feeling traditional, you could pour it using your fingers as they did.
