Drink for This Week: The Patiala Peg – How to Make It
Folklore has it that in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was adamant that his team would win over a visiting English team. To gain the upper hand, he hosted a grand party on the eve of the match, where he offered his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These are incredibly generous four-finger measure whisky servings, historically poured from little finger to forefinger. Predictably, the English players partook excessively, leaving them very the worse for wear and, consequently, defeated the day after. Thus, the myth of the Patiala peg was born.
This Punjabi spin on the old fashioned is inspired by the Maharaja's beverage. Here, we offer it from a specially crafted large-format bottle, but we've adjusted the recipe to make it better suited for a home setting.
Patiala Peg
Makes 1 litre, serving 10-12 portions.
What's Required
- 725g Scotch whisky blend
- 130g sugar syrup
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A dash of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Method
Place everything in a large bottle. Include 130g water, stir until fully incorporated, then place it in the refrigerator. It can be stored for up to three weeks.
For serving, measure out about 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a short glass filled with ice (preferably one large cube). Enjoy immediately. For a traditional touch, you could measure it in by hand as they did.
