Drink of the Week: The Patiala Peg – Recipe
Folklore has it that back in 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was determined that his cricket team would win over a visiting English team. To secure an advantage, he threw a grand party on the eve of the match, at which he served his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These were incredibly generous four-finger whisky servings, traditionally gauged from little finger to forefinger. Predictably, the English players partook excessively, leaving them very the worse for wear and, consequently, beaten the next day. Thus, the legend of the Patiala peg was born.
This inspired kind-of old fashioned is inspired by that original drink. In our establishment, we present it from a custom-made large-format bottle, but we've adjusted the formula to make it easier for a domestic environment.
Patiala Peg
Produces 1 litre, serving 10-12 people.
What's Required
- 725g blended scotch whisky
- 130g simple syrup
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
- A dash of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Instructions
Combine everything in a large bottle. Pour in 130g water, stir until fully incorporated, then transfer it in the refrigerator. It will now keep for up to a few weeks.
For serving, dispense roughly 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a old fashioned glass packed with ice (ideally one large cube). Enjoy immediately. If you're feeling traditional, you could pour it using your fingers instead.
