Drink This Week: The Patiala Peg Cocktail – Recipe
Folklore claims that back in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was adamant that his team would win over a touring English side. To gain the upper hand, he organized a grand party the night before the match, at which he offered his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These were notoriously large four-finger measure whisky servings, traditionally gauged from little finger to forefinger. Predictably, the English players overindulged, resulting in them being very the worse for wear and, inevitably, beaten the next day. In this way, the story of the Patiala peg came to be.
This take on a spin on the Old Fashioned cocktail is inspired by that original drink. At the restaurant, we serve it from a custom-made large-format bottle, but we've adjusted the instructions to make it easier for a home setting.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Makes 1 litre, enough for 10-12 drinks.
Ingredients
- 725g Scotch whisky blend
- 130g sugar syrup (1:1)
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
- A small pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Instructions
Place all the ingredients in a big container. Pour in 130g water, stir to combine, then transfer it in the refrigerator. You can store it for up to three weeks.
For serving, pour roughly 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a rocks glass filled with ice (traditionally one large cube). Drink straight away. If you're feeling traditional, you could pour it using your fingers for authenticity.
