Drink of the Week: The Patiala Peg Cocktail – Recipe
Legend claims that back in 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was determined that his team would win over a visiting English team. To gain the upper hand, he organized a grand party on the eve of the match, where he presented his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These were famously generous four-finger whisky pours, customarily gauged from pinky to forefinger. Predictably, the English players partook excessively, resulting in them being terribly the worse for wear and, consequently, defeated the following day. Thus, the story of the Patiala peg was born.
This inspired kind-of Old Fashioned cocktail draws inspiration from Singh's beverage. Here, we offer it from a custom-made five-litre bottle, but we've adapted the recipe to make it better suited for a domestic setting.
Patiala Peg
Produces 1 litre, serving 10-12 people.
You Will Need
- 725g blended Scotch
- 130g simple syrup
- 6g Angostura bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A small pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Method
Put everything in a large bottle. Pour in 130g water, agitate until fully incorporated, then put it in the fridge. You can store it for about a few weeks.
To serve, dispense about 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a rocks glass containing ice (ideally one large cube). Serve promptly. If you're feeling traditional, you could pour it using your fingers for authenticity.
