Cocktail This Week: The Patiala Peg – Recipe
Folklore has it that back in 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was set that his cricket team would win over a touring English team. To gain the upper hand, he organized a grand party on the eve of the match, where he served his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These were incredibly substantial four-finger measure whisky pours, historically measured from pinky to forefinger. Predictably, the English players overindulged, resulting in them being very the worse for wear and, consequently, vanquished the day after. In this way, the legend of the Patiala peg originated.
This Punjabi variation of Old Fashioned cocktail takes its cue from that original concoction. In our establishment, we offer it from a specially crafted five-litre bottle, but we've modified the recipe to make it more suitable for a domestic environment.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Makes 1 litre, serving 10-12 portions.
What's Required
- 725g Scotch whisky blend
- 130g sugar syrup
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
- A pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Method
Put everything in a sizeable jug. Include 130g water, mix until fully incorporated, then place it in the refrigerator. It will now keep for as long as three weeks.
To serve, measure out roughly 90ml of the infused whisky into a short glass filled with ice (traditionally one big block). Serve straight away. For a traditional touch, you could measure it in by hand instead.
