Cocktail for This Week: The Patiala Peg Cocktail – How to Make It
Folklore suggests that during 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was determined that his team would succeed over a touring English squad. To secure an advantage, he organized a grand party on the eve of the match, at which he served his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These are incredibly large four-finger whisky pours, traditionally gauged from pinky to forefinger. Unsurprisingly, the English players partook excessively, leaving them very the worse for wear and, inevitably, vanquished the following day. Thus, the legend of the Patiala peg originated.
This Punjabi kind-of old fashioned draws inspiration from that original beverage. In our establishment, we present it from a specially crafted large-format bottle, but we've adjusted the instructions to make it better suited for a household environment.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Produces 1 litre, serving 10-12 people.
What's Required
- 725g blended Scotch
- 130g simple syrup
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
- A small pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Instructions
Put everything in a big container. Include 130g water, mix until fully incorporated, then put it in the refrigerator. It can be stored for about a few weeks.
To serve, pour about 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a old fashioned glass filled with ice (preferably one big block). Drink immediately. If you're feeling traditional, you could measure it in by hand instead.
