Cocktail for This Week: The Patiala Peg Cocktail – Recipe

Tale has it that back in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was adamant that his team would succeed over a touring English side. For a competitive edge, he hosted a splendid party on the eve of the match, where he served his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These are notoriously generous four-finger whisky pours, traditionally gauged from pinky to index finger. As expected, the English players drank too much, resulting in them being extremely hungover and, consequently, beaten the day after. In this way, the story of the Patiala peg was born.

This inspired spin on the Old Fashioned cocktail is inspired by Singh's beverage. At the restaurant, we present it from a custom-made five-litre bottle, but we've adjusted the instructions to make it more suitable for a home environment.

Patiala Peg

Produces 1 litre, serving 10-12 portions.

What's Required

• 725g blended Scotch
• 130g sugar syrup
• 6g Angostura bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
• 1g orange bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
• A small pinch of salt
• 2g xanthan gum powder

Preparation

Place all the ingredients in a large bottle. Pour in 130g water, stir thoroughly, then transfer it in the refrigerator. You can store it for as long as 21 days.

When ready to drink, dispense approximately 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a short glass containing ice (ideally one large cube). Drink immediately. If you're feeling traditional, you could measure it in by hand for authenticity.