Drink of the Week: The Patiala Peg Cocktail – Recipe
Folklore suggests that during 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was determined that his cricket team would win over a visiting English squad. To secure an advantage, he hosted a grand party on the eve of the match, where he offered his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These are famously substantial four-finger whisky servings, traditionally gauged from little finger to forefinger. Predictably, the English players overindulged, leaving them terribly the worse for wear and, consequently, defeated the following day. Thus, the legend of the Patiala peg came to be.
This take on a kind-of Old Fashioned cocktail draws inspiration from that original concoction. In our establishment, we offer it from a bespoke large-format bottle, but we've adjusted the formula to make it more suitable for a household setting.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Produces 1 litre, to serve 10-12 drinks.
You Will Need
- 725g blended Scotch
- 130g sugar syrup (1:1)
- 6g Angostura bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Preparation
Combine everything in a large bottle. Add 130g water, mix to combine, then place it in the fridge. It can be stored for about three weeks.
When ready to drink, dispense about 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a rocks glass containing ice (preferably one big block). Serve immediately. For a traditional touch, you could use the four-finger measure instead.
