Drink This Week: The Patiala Peg Cocktail – How to Make It
Folklore has it that back in 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was adamant that his team would win over a touring English squad. To gain the upper hand, he organized a grand party the night before the match, where he presented his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These were notoriously large four-finger measure whisky pours, historically gauged from little finger to forefinger. Unsurprisingly, the English players drank too much, leaving them very the worse for wear and, inevitably, defeated the next day. Thus, the legend of the Patiala peg came to be.
This Punjabi variation of Old Fashioned cocktail draws inspiration from Singh's beverage. At the restaurant, we offer it from a custom-made large-format bottle, but we've adjusted the formula to make it better suited for a home setting.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Yields 1 litre, enough for 10-12 portions.
Ingredients
- 725g Scotch whisky blend
- 130g simple syrup
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A small pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Preparation
Combine everything in a large bottle. Pour in 130g water, mix until fully incorporated, then transfer it in the refrigerator. It will now keep for as long as three weeks.
When ready to drink, measure out approximately 90ml of the infused whisky into a old fashioned glass filled with ice (traditionally one large cube). Serve promptly. If you're feeling traditional, you could pour it using your fingers for authenticity.
