Cocktail This Week: The Patiala Peg – How to Make It
Folklore suggests that during 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was determined that his team would succeed over a touring English side. For a competitive edge, he organized a grand party on the eve of the match, at which he served his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These are incredibly substantial four-finger whisky pours, traditionally measured from little finger to forefinger. As expected, the English players partook excessively, resulting in them being very hungover and, inevitably, vanquished the next day. In this way, the legend of the Patiala peg originated.
This Punjabi spin on the Old Fashioned cocktail draws inspiration from Singh's beverage. Here, we offer it from a bespoke five-litre bottle, but we've adapted the recipe to make it easier for a household setting.
Patiala Peg
Produces 1 litre, to serve 10-12 people.
Ingredients
- 725g blended Scotch
- 130g sugar syrup
- 6g Angostura bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A small pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Method
Combine everything in a large bottle. Include 130g water, agitate to combine, then put it in the refrigerator. It can be stored for about a few weeks.
For serving, measure out approximately 90ml of the infused whisky into a short glass containing ice (preferably one large cube). Drink straight away. For a traditional touch, you could pour it using your fingers for authenticity.
