Drink of the Week: The Patiala Peg Cocktail – Recipe
Folklore suggests that in 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was determined that his cricket team would succeed over a touring English squad. To gain the upper hand, he organized a splendid party on the eve of the match, at which he presented his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These were incredibly substantial four-finger whisky pours, historically measured from little finger to index finger. Predictably, the English players overindulged, resulting in them being terribly the worse for wear and, consequently, defeated the following day. And so, the story of the Patiala peg came to be.
This Punjabi variation of old fashioned is inspired by that original concoction. Here, we present it from a specially crafted large-format bottle, but we've adapted the formula to make it easier for a household kitchen.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Produces 1 litre, to serve 10-12 people.
You Will Need
- 725g blended Scotch
- 130g simple syrup
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A small pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Method
Place everything in a sizeable jug. Include 130g water, mix thoroughly, then put it in the fridge. It can be stored for up to three weeks.
To serve, pour about 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a old fashioned glass containing ice (ideally one big block). Drink promptly. For a traditional touch, you could measure it in by hand instead.
