Drink for This Week: The Patiala Peg – Recipe
Folklore has it that back in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was adamant that his cricket team would win over a visiting English side. To gain the upper hand, he hosted a splendid party on the eve of the match, at which he served his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These are notoriously large four-finger measure whisky pours, historically measured from little finger to index finger. As expected, the English players drank too much, leaving them terribly hungover and, inevitably, beaten the day after. Thus, the myth of the Patiala peg came to be.
This take on a variation of Old Fashioned cocktail takes its cue from the Maharaja's concoction. Here, we offer it from a custom-made five-litre bottle, but we've adjusted the recipe to make it more suitable for a domestic setting.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Yields 1 litre, enough for 10-12 portions.
What's Required
- 725g blended Scotch
- 130g sugar syrup
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (about 1â…“ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (approximately â…• tsp)
- A pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Method
Combine all the ingredients in a sizeable jug. Add 130g water, stir until fully incorporated, then place it in the refrigerator. It will now keep for up to a few weeks.
For serving, measure out about 90ml of the infused whisky into a rocks glass packed with ice (ideally one big block). Drink promptly. To honour tradition, you could pour it using your fingers instead.
