Drink of the Week: The Patiala Peg – Recipe
Legend has it that during 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was determined that his team would triumph over a visiting English side. For a competitive edge, he threw a grand party on the eve of the match, at which he presented his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These were famously generous four-finger whisky servings, traditionally poured from pinky to index finger. Unsurprisingly, the English players overindulged, leaving them extremely the worse for wear and, inevitably, vanquished the day after. And so, the legend of the Patiala peg was born.
This inspired variation of old fashioned takes its cue from that original drink. In our establishment, we present it from a bespoke large-format bottle, but we've adapted the recipe to make it better suited for a household kitchen.
Patiala Peg
Makes 1 litre, to serve 10-12 portions.
Ingredients
- 725g blended scotch whisky
- 130g sugar syrup (1:1)
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
- A small pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Method
Place everything in a large bottle. Pour in 130g water, agitate thoroughly, then put it in the refrigerator. It will now keep for up to three weeks.
For serving, dispense roughly 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a old fashioned glass containing ice (preferably one large cube). Serve promptly. If you're feeling traditional, you could measure it in by hand as they did.