Cocktail of the Week: The Patiala Peg Cocktail – How to Make It
Legend suggests that back in 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was set that his team would triumph over a visiting English squad. To gain the upper hand, he threw a lavish party on the eve of the match, at which he offered his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These were famously large four-finger measure whisky servings, historically measured from pinky to forefinger. As expected, the English players partook excessively, resulting in them being very hungover and, inevitably, defeated the next day. And so, the myth of the Patiala peg originated.
This take on a kind-of Old Fashioned cocktail takes its cue from that original beverage. In our establishment, we present it from a custom-made five-litre bottle, but we've adjusted the instructions to make it more suitable for a household kitchen.
Patiala Peg
Yields 1 litre, enough for 10-12 people.
What's Required
- 725g Scotch whisky blend
- 130g sugar syrup
- 6g Angostura bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Instructions
Combine all the ingredients in a large bottle. Add 130g water, stir until fully incorporated, then place it in the refrigerator. It will now keep for about 21 days.
To serve, pour about 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a old fashioned glass containing ice (preferably one big block). Drink straight away. For a traditional touch, you could pour it using your fingers as they did.
