Cocktail of the Week: The Patiala Peg – How to Make It
Legend claims that in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was set that his cricket team would succeed over a touring English side. For a competitive edge, he threw a splendid party the night before the match, at which he served his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These were famously substantial four-finger measure whisky pours, traditionally poured from little finger to index finger. Predictably, the English players overindulged, resulting in them being very the worse for wear and, consequently, vanquished the following day. In this way, the myth of the Patiala peg was born.
This inspired kind-of Old Fashioned cocktail draws inspiration from the Maharaja's concoction. At the restaurant, we present it from a specially crafted five-litre bottle, but we've modified the formula to make it better suited for a home kitchen.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Makes 1 litre, enough for 10-12 portions.
Ingredients
- 725g Scotch whisky blend
- 130g sugar syrup (1:1)
- 6g Angostura bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A dash of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Method
Combine everything in a large bottle. Add 130g water, stir thoroughly, then transfer it in the refrigerator. You can store it for about three weeks.
To serve, measure out approximately 90ml of the infused whisky into a short glass filled with ice (traditionally one large cube). Serve straight away. If you're feeling traditional, you could measure it in by hand for authenticity.
