Drink of the Week: The Patiala Peg – How to Make It
Tale has it that in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was set that his team would triumph over a touring English team. For a competitive edge, he organized a grand party the night before the match, at which he presented his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These were notoriously generous four-finger measure whisky pours, traditionally poured from pinky to index finger. As expected, the English players overindulged, resulting in them being very the worse for wear and, inevitably, defeated the next day. Thus, the myth of the Patiala peg originated.
This take on a kind-of old fashioned takes its cue from Singh's concoction. In our establishment, we present it from a specially crafted large-format bottle, but we've adapted the recipe to make it easier for a home kitchen.
Patiala Peg
Produces 1 litre, enough for 10-12 people.
You Will Need
- 725g blended Scotch
- 130g simple syrup
- 6g Angostura bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
- A small pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Instructions
Put everything in a big container. Add 130g water, mix to combine, then transfer it in the refrigerator. It will now keep for as long as 21 days.
For serving, dispense roughly 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a short glass packed with ice (preferably one big block). Enjoy promptly. To honour tradition, you could pour it using your fingers for authenticity.
