Drink of the Week: The Patiala Peg – Recipe
Tale suggests that during 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was determined that his cricket team would win over a touring English team. To secure an advantage, he organized a lavish party the night before the match, at which he presented his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These were notoriously large four-finger measure whisky pours, customarily gauged from little finger to forefinger. Predictably, the English players overindulged, leaving them very hungover and, inevitably, defeated the next day. Thus, the myth of the Patiala peg originated.
This take on a variation of Old Fashioned cocktail draws inspiration from Singh's concoction. In our establishment, we offer it from a bespoke five-litre bottle, but we've modified the instructions to make it easier for a domestic environment.
Patiala Peg
Makes 1 litre, to serve 10-12 people.
You Will Need
- 725g blended scotch whisky
- 130g simple syrup
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
- A small pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Preparation
Combine everything in a big container. Include 130g water, mix to combine, then put it in the fridge. It will now keep for about three weeks.
To serve, dispense roughly 90ml of the infused whisky into a rocks glass filled with ice (preferably one large cube). Enjoy straight away. If you're feeling traditional, you could use the four-finger measure for authenticity.
