Drink of the Week: The Patiala Peg Cocktail – How to Make It
Tale claims that back in 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was set that his team would win over a visiting English squad. For a competitive edge, he organized a lavish party the night before the match, where he served his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These were incredibly generous four-finger whisky pours, historically measured from pinky to index finger. Unsurprisingly, the English players drank too much, resulting in them being very the worse for wear and, inevitably, defeated the following day. In this way, the legend of the Patiala peg originated.
This Punjabi variation of Old Fashioned cocktail is inspired by Singh's drink. In our establishment, we present it from a specially crafted five-litre bottle, but we've modified the instructions to make it easier for a home kitchen.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Yields 1 litre, to serve 10-12 drinks.
You Will Need
- 725g blended scotch whisky
- 130g sugar syrup
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
- A pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Preparation
Combine all the ingredients in a sizeable jug. Include 130g water, mix to combine, then put it in the refrigerator. It can be stored for about 21 days.
For serving, pour about 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a rocks glass packed with ice (preferably one big block). Drink straight away. If you're feeling traditional, you could measure it in by hand as they did.
