Drink for This Week: The Patiala Peg Cocktail – Recipe
Folklore has it that during 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was determined that his cricket team would triumph over a visiting English squad. To gain the upper hand, he hosted a grand party the night before the match, at which he presented his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These are famously substantial four-finger measure whisky servings, traditionally gauged from pinky to forefinger. Predictably, the English players overindulged, resulting in them being terribly the worse for wear and, inevitably, beaten the next day. And so, the myth of the Patiala peg originated.
This Punjabi variation of Old Fashioned cocktail draws inspiration from that original beverage. In our establishment, we present it from a specially crafted five-litre bottle, but we've modified the instructions to make it easier for a domestic environment.
Patiala Peg
Produces 1 litre, to serve 10-12 drinks.
You Will Need
- 725g Scotch whisky blend
- 130g sugar syrup (1:1)
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
- A pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Preparation
Place all the ingredients in a large bottle. Add 130g water, agitate to combine, then transfer it in the refrigerator. It will now keep for about a few weeks.
When ready to drink, pour about 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a old fashioned glass containing ice (ideally one large cube). Enjoy promptly. To honour tradition, you could pour it using your fingers as they did.
