Drink for This Week: The Patiala Peg – How to Make It
Tale suggests that back in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was set that his cricket team would win over a touring English squad. For a competitive edge, he hosted a splendid party on the eve of the match, where he presented his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These are incredibly large four-finger measure whisky servings, customarily poured from little finger to index finger. As expected, the English players drank too much, leaving them extremely hungover and, consequently, vanquished the following day. Thus, the myth of the Patiala peg originated.
This take on a spin on the old fashioned is inspired by that original drink. In our establishment, we present it from a bespoke five-litre bottle, but we've adjusted the recipe to make it easier for a domestic setting.
Patiala Peg
Produces 1 litre, enough for 10-12 drinks.
Ingredients
- 725g Scotch whisky blend
- 130g sugar syrup (1:1)
- 6g Angostura bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A small pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Preparation
Combine everything in a large bottle. Add 130g water, agitate until fully incorporated, then place it in the refrigerator. It can be stored for about 21 days.
To serve, pour approximately 90ml of the infused whisky into a rocks glass filled with ice (traditionally one big block). Enjoy straight away. If you're feeling traditional, you could use the four-finger measure instead.
