Drink of the Week: The Patiala Peg Cocktail – Recipe
Tale suggests that back in 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was set that his team would succeed over a visiting English squad. For a competitive edge, he organized a lavish party on the eve of the match, where he served his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These were notoriously generous four-finger measure whisky servings, traditionally measured from pinky to index finger. Unsurprisingly, the English players overindulged, leaving them very the worse for wear and, consequently, vanquished the day after. And so, the story of the Patiala peg originated.
This inspired spin on the old fashioned is inspired by that original beverage. In our establishment, we offer it from a specially crafted large-format bottle, but we've adjusted the instructions to make it better suited for a household setting.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Produces 1 litre, serving 10-12 drinks.
You Will Need
- 725g Scotch whisky blend
- 130g sugar syrup
- 6g Angostura bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A small pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Preparation
Combine all the ingredients in a large bottle. Pour in 130g water, mix to combine, then transfer it in the fridge. It can be stored for as long as three weeks.
When ready to drink, measure out about 90ml of the infused whisky into a old fashioned glass filled with ice (traditionally one big block). Drink immediately. To honour tradition, you could measure it in by hand for authenticity.
