Cocktail of the Week: The Patiala Peg Cocktail – How to Make It
Folklore claims that back in 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was set that his cricket team would win over a touring English team. To secure an advantage, he organized a lavish party on the eve of the match, at which he presented his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These were incredibly substantial four-finger measure whisky servings, historically gauged from pinky to forefinger. Predictably, the English players drank too much, resulting in them being terribly hungover and, consequently, defeated the day after. Thus, the myth of the Patiala peg was born.
This Punjabi variation of Old Fashioned cocktail takes its cue from that original drink. Here, we serve it from a custom-made five-litre bottle, but we've adapted the instructions to make it better suited for a home environment.
Patiala Peg
Yields 1 litre, enough for 10-12 drinks.
You Will Need
- 725g Scotch whisky blend
- 130g sugar syrup (1:1)
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Instructions
Combine all the ingredients in a big container. Pour in 130g water, mix to combine, then put it in the refrigerator. It can be stored for about 21 days.
For serving, measure out approximately 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a short glass containing ice (preferably one large cube). Serve immediately. For a traditional touch, you could use the four-finger measure instead.
