Cocktail This Week: The Patiala Peg Cocktail – How to Make It
Tale has it that in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was set that his team would win over a visiting English squad. To gain the upper hand, he hosted a grand party the night before the match, at which he served his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These are incredibly substantial four-finger measure whisky servings, customarily poured from little finger to forefinger. Predictably, the English players partook excessively, leaving them very hungover and, consequently, defeated the next day. In this way, the myth of the Patiala peg originated.
This inspired variation of Old Fashioned cocktail draws inspiration from the Maharaja's concoction. In our establishment, we serve it from a specially crafted five-litre bottle, but we've adjusted the formula to make it more suitable for a home environment.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Makes 1 litre, to serve 10-12 drinks.
What's Required
- 725g blended Scotch
- 130g sugar syrup (1:1)
- 6g Angostura bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
- A pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Method
Combine everything in a big container. Add 130g water, mix thoroughly, then transfer it in the refrigerator. It will now keep for up to a few weeks.
For serving, pour approximately 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a short glass filled with ice (ideally one large cube). Enjoy straight away. To honour tradition, you could measure it in by hand as they did.
