Cocktail This Week: The Patiala Peg Cocktail – Recipe
Tale suggests that in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was adamant that his team would triumph over a touring English team. For a competitive edge, he threw a splendid party the night before the match, where he offered his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These were famously large four-finger whisky servings, traditionally poured from little finger to index finger. Predictably, the English players partook excessively, leaving them extremely hungover and, consequently, vanquished the next day. And so, the story of the Patiala peg originated.
This inspired kind-of old fashioned is inspired by Singh's beverage. In our establishment, we serve it from a bespoke five-litre bottle, but we've modified the formula to make it more suitable for a home setting.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Yields 1 litre, serving 10-12 portions.
Ingredients
- 725g Scotch whisky blend
- 130g sugar syrup (1:1)
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
- A pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Instructions
Combine everything in a big container. Include 130g water, mix to combine, then transfer it in the fridge. It can be stored for up to a few weeks.
For serving, measure out approximately 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a short glass filled with ice (ideally one large cube). Drink immediately. For a traditional touch, you could pour it using your fingers instead.
