Drink This Week: The Patiala Peg Cocktail – Recipe

Tale suggests that in 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was adamant that his team would succeed over a touring English team. For a competitive edge, he threw a grand party the night before the match, where he presented his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These were notoriously generous four-finger whisky pours, customarily measured from little finger to index finger. Unsurprisingly, the English players overindulged, leaving them extremely hungover and, consequently, vanquished the following day. In this way, the story of the Patiala peg came to be.

This take on a spin on the old fashioned is inspired by the Maharaja's drink. At the restaurant, we serve it from a specially crafted five-litre bottle, but we've adjusted the formula to make it better suited for a household kitchen.

Patiala Peg

Produces 1 litre, enough for 10-12 drinks.

You Will Need

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

Preparation

Place everything in a large bottle. Include 130g water, stir until fully incorporated, then put it in the refrigerator. It will now keep for up to three weeks.

To serve, pour approximately 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a old fashioned glass containing ice (ideally one big block). Enjoy immediately. For a traditional touch, you could pour it using your fingers for authenticity.