Cocktail of the Week: The Patiala Peg Cocktail – How to Make It
Legend has it that back in 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was adamant that his team would succeed over a touring English squad. For a competitive edge, he threw a splendid party the night before the match, where he offered his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These were notoriously generous four-finger measure whisky pours, customarily gauged from little finger to index finger. Predictably, the English players drank too much, leaving them very hungover and, consequently, vanquished the next day. And so, the legend of the Patiala peg was born.
This Punjabi spin on the old fashioned takes its cue from Singh's beverage. Here, we present it from a specially crafted large-format bottle, but we've adjusted the recipe to make it easier for a household environment.
Patiala Peg
Yields 1 litre, enough for 10-12 people.
Ingredients
- 725g blended scotch whisky
- 130g sugar syrup (1:1)
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
- A dash of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Preparation
Combine everything in a big container. Add 130g water, agitate until fully incorporated, then transfer it in the refrigerator. You can store it for as long as 21 days.
When ready to drink, measure out approximately 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a rocks glass containing ice (ideally one big block). Drink straight away. For a traditional touch, you could use the four-finger measure instead.
