Drink for This Week: The Patiala Peg – Recipe
Tale has it that back in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was adamant that his team would triumph over a touring English squad. For a competitive edge, he threw a grand party on the eve of the match, where he offered his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These are incredibly substantial four-finger measure whisky servings, historically poured from pinky to forefinger. As expected, the English players overindulged, leaving them extremely the worse for wear and, inevitably, vanquished the next day. Thus, the myth of the Patiala peg came to be.
This inspired variation of old fashioned is inspired by the Maharaja's concoction. In our establishment, we offer it from a custom-made five-litre bottle, but we've adapted the instructions to make it better suited for a domestic setting.
Patiala Peg
Makes 1 litre, enough for 10-12 people.
What's Required
- 725g Scotch whisky blend
- 130g simple syrup
- 6g Angostura bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A small pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Method
Put everything in a large bottle. Include 130g water, mix thoroughly, then transfer it in the refrigerator. It can be stored for about a few weeks.
For serving, pour roughly 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a old fashioned glass containing ice (preferably one big block). Drink immediately. To honour tradition, you could use the four-finger measure as they did.
