Cocktail This Week: The Patiala Peg Cocktail – How to Make It
Tale claims that back in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was set that his team would succeed over a visiting English team. To secure an advantage, he organized a grand party on the eve of the match, where he offered his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These are incredibly generous four-finger whisky servings, historically gauged from pinky to forefinger. Predictably, the English players overindulged, resulting in them being terribly the worse for wear and, inevitably, vanquished the day after. And so, the story of the Patiala peg came to be.
This inspired spin on the old fashioned is inspired by that original drink. In our establishment, we offer it from a bespoke large-format bottle, but we've adjusted the formula to make it better suited for a household environment.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Produces 1 litre, to serve 10-12 people.
You Will Need
- 725g blended scotch whisky
- 130g sugar syrup (1:1)
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A small pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Instructions
Put everything in a sizeable jug. Add 130g water, stir until fully incorporated, then place it in the refrigerator. It can be stored for about a few weeks.
For serving, dispense about 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a old fashioned glass filled with ice (preferably one big block). Drink straight away. If you're feeling traditional, you could pour it using your fingers instead.
