Cocktail of the Week: The Patiala Peg – How to Make It
Tale suggests that during 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was adamant that his cricket team would win over a visiting English team. To secure an advantage, he hosted a splendid party on the eve of the match, at which he offered his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These are incredibly substantial four-finger whisky servings, customarily poured from pinky to index finger. Predictably, the English players overindulged, resulting in them being extremely the worse for wear and, consequently, beaten the following day. In this way, the legend of the Patiala peg was born.
This take on a kind-of old fashioned is inspired by the Maharaja's beverage. At the restaurant, we offer it from a bespoke five-litre bottle, but we've modified the formula to make it easier for a home kitchen.
Patiala Peg
Yields 1 litre, to serve 10-12 drinks.
You Will Need
- 725g Scotch whisky blend
- 130g simple syrup
- 6g Angostura bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A dash of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Preparation
Put all the ingredients in a sizeable jug. Include 130g water, mix until fully incorporated, then place it in the refrigerator. It can be stored for about three weeks.
When ready to drink, measure out approximately 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a rocks glass filled with ice (ideally one big block). Enjoy promptly. For a traditional touch, you could pour it using your fingers for authenticity.