Cocktail for This Week: The Patiala Peg Cocktail – Recipe
Folklore suggests that during 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was set that his team would succeed over a touring English squad. To secure an advantage, he organized a lavish party on the eve of the match, at which he presented his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These are famously large four-finger measure whisky servings, traditionally poured from little finger to forefinger. Predictably, the English players partook excessively, resulting in them being terribly the worse for wear and, inevitably, beaten the day after. And so, the story of the Patiala peg came to be.
This take on a variation of old fashioned takes its cue from Singh's drink. At the restaurant, we present it from a custom-made large-format bottle, but we've modified the formula to make it easier for a home setting.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Produces 1 litre, serving 10-12 people.
What's Required
- 725g Scotch whisky blend
- 130g simple syrup
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
- A dash of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Preparation
Place all the ingredients in a large bottle. Add 130g water, mix to combine, then transfer it in the refrigerator. It can be stored for up to 21 days.
For serving, pour approximately 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a old fashioned glass packed with ice (preferably one big block). Enjoy straight away. If you're feeling traditional, you could pour it using your fingers instead.
