Cocktail for This Week: The Patiala Peg Cocktail – Recipe
Folklore claims that in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was set that his cricket team would succeed over a visiting English team. To secure an advantage, he organized a lavish party the night before the match, where he presented his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These are famously large four-finger measure whisky servings, customarily measured from pinky to index finger. As expected, the English players drank too much, leaving them very the worse for wear and, consequently, beaten the next day. Thus, the story of the Patiala peg originated.
This take on a variation of old fashioned is inspired by that original concoction. In our establishment, we serve it from a specially crafted large-format bottle, but we've adjusted the instructions to make it more suitable for a domestic setting.
Patiala Peg
Yields 1 litre, to serve 10-12 people.
What's Required
- 725g Scotch whisky blend
- 130g simple syrup
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A small pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Method
Place all the ingredients in a big container. Include 130g water, mix to combine, then transfer 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 rocks glass filled with ice (preferably one large cube). Enjoy immediately. If you're feeling traditional, you could use the four-finger measure for authenticity.
