Drink This Week: The Patiala Peg Cocktail – How to Make It
Folklore has it that during 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was set that his cricket team would succeed over a visiting English team. For a competitive edge, he organized a splendid party the night before the match, where he presented his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These were incredibly large four-finger whisky pours, traditionally poured from little finger to forefinger. Unsurprisingly, the English players overindulged, leaving them extremely hungover and, consequently, beaten the day after. In this way, the legend of the Patiala peg originated.
This Punjabi spin on the Old Fashioned cocktail is inspired by the Maharaja's drink. Here, we offer it from a specially crafted large-format bottle, but we've modified the instructions to make it more suitable for a domestic kitchen.
Patiala Peg
Yields 1 litre, serving 10-12 drinks.
You Will Need
- 725g blended Scotch
- 130g sugar syrup (1:1)
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (about 1â…“ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (about â…• tsp)
- A small pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Preparation
Combine everything in a big container. Add 130g water, stir until fully incorporated, then put it in the refrigerator. It will now keep for up to 21 days.
To serve, dispense roughly 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a rocks glass containing ice (preferably one large cube). Serve immediately. For a traditional touch, you could pour it using your fingers for authenticity.
