Drink for This Week: The Patiala Peg – Recipe
Folklore suggests that during 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was adamant that his team would succeed over a visiting English squad. To gain the upper hand, he organized a splendid party on the eve of the match, where he served his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These are notoriously generous four-finger measure whisky pours, historically measured from pinky to index finger. Predictably, the English players overindulged, leaving them terribly the worse for wear and, inevitably, defeated the day after. In this way, the myth of the Patiala peg originated.
This Punjabi spin on the Old Fashioned cocktail takes its cue from that original beverage. Here, we offer it from a custom-made five-litre bottle, but we've adapted the recipe to make it more suitable for a household kitchen.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Produces 1 litre, enough for 10-12 portions.
What's Required
- 725g blended scotch whisky
- 130g simple syrup
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A small pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Method
Put everything in a big container. Pour in 130g water, stir to combine, then place it in the refrigerator. It will now keep for about three weeks.
To serve, dispense about 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a old fashioned glass filled with ice (preferably one big block). Enjoy promptly. To honour tradition, you could use the four-finger measure for authenticity.
