Drink of the Week: The Patiala Peg Cocktail – Recipe
Legend has it that back in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was determined that his team would win over a touring English side. To secure an advantage, he hosted a lavish party the night before the match, where he offered his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These are notoriously substantial four-finger whisky pours, traditionally measured from pinky to index finger. As expected, the English players partook excessively, resulting in them being terribly hungover and, consequently, defeated the next day. Thus, the story of the Patiala peg was born.
This inspired variation of Old Fashioned cocktail is inspired by that original drink. At the restaurant, we present it from a custom-made large-format bottle, but we've adapted the instructions to make it more suitable for a household environment.
Patiala Peg
Produces 1 litre, enough for 10-12 portions.
Ingredients
- 725g Scotch whisky blend
- 130g simple syrup
- 6g Angostura bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
- A dash of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Method
Put all the ingredients in a big container. Add 130g water, stir to combine, then transfer it in the fridge. It can be stored for as long as 21 days.
When ready to drink, pour roughly 90ml of the infused whisky into a short glass packed with ice (ideally one large cube). Drink promptly. For a traditional touch, you could measure it in by hand instead.
