Drink This Week: The Patiala Peg – Recipe
Folklore claims that during 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was adamant that his team would triumph over a visiting English team. To gain the upper hand, he threw a lavish party on the eve of the match, at which he offered his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These were incredibly large four-finger whisky pours, historically poured from pinky to index finger. Unsurprisingly, the English players overindulged, resulting in them being very the worse for wear and, consequently, defeated the day after. And so, the legend of the Patiala peg was born.
This inspired spin on the old fashioned takes its cue from Singh's drink. Here, we serve it from a custom-made large-format bottle, but we've adjusted the formula to make it easier for a home kitchen.
Patiala Peg
Makes 1 litre, enough for 10-12 portions.
What's Required
- 725g blended Scotch
- 130g sugar syrup (1:1)
- 6g Angostura bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A small pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Preparation
Place all the ingredients in a big container. Add 130g water, agitate thoroughly, then place it in the fridge. You can store it for up to a few weeks.
For serving, dispense about 90ml of the infused whisky into a rocks glass packed with ice (preferably one large cube). Enjoy immediately. If you're feeling traditional, you could pour it using your fingers for authenticity.
