Cocktail This Week: The Patiala Peg Cocktail – Recipe
Folklore has it that during 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was adamant that his team would win over a touring English team. To gain the upper hand, he organized a grand party on the eve of the match, where he served his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These were incredibly large four-finger whisky pours, historically poured from little finger to index finger. As expected, the English players partook excessively, resulting in them being very hungover and, inevitably, beaten the day after. And so, the story of the Patiala peg originated.
This inspired spin on the Old Fashioned cocktail takes its cue from Singh's beverage. In our establishment, we serve it from a bespoke five-litre bottle, but we've modified the recipe to make it more suitable for a household kitchen.
Patiala Peg
Yields 1 litre, to serve 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 pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Instructions
Place all the ingredients in a big container. Add 130g water, agitate to combine, then place it in the fridge. You can store it for as long as 21 days.
When ready to drink, pour approximately 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a short glass packed with ice (traditionally one large cube). Enjoy immediately. For a traditional touch, you could measure it in by hand for authenticity.
