Cocktail for This Week: The Patiala Peg Cocktail – Recipe
Folklore claims that in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was adamant that his team would win over a touring English squad. To secure an advantage, he organized a lavish party on the eve of the match, where he presented his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These are notoriously generous four-finger measure whisky pours, customarily poured from pinky to forefinger. As expected, the English players drank too much, resulting in them being extremely the worse for wear and, inevitably, beaten the day after. Thus, the legend of the Patiala peg was born.
This take on a kind-of Old Fashioned cocktail draws inspiration from the Maharaja's concoction. Here, we present it from a custom-made five-litre bottle, but we've modified the formula to make it better suited for a home environment.
Patiala Peg
Yields 1 litre, to serve 10-12 people.
What's Required
- 725g blended scotch whisky
- 130g sugar syrup (1:1)
- 6g Angostura bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
- A pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Method
Place everything in a sizeable jug. Pour in 130g water, mix to combine, then transfer it in the refrigerator. It will now keep for about three weeks.
For serving, measure out approximately 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a rocks glass containing ice (preferably one big block). Enjoy promptly. If you're feeling traditional, you could use the four-finger measure for authenticity.
