Cocktail of the Week: The Patiala Peg Cocktail – Recipe
Tale claims that during 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was adamant that his team would win over a touring English side. To secure an advantage, he threw a splendid party on the eve of the match, at which he served his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These are notoriously generous four-finger measure whisky servings, traditionally measured from little finger to forefinger. As expected, the English players partook excessively, leaving them very the worse for wear and, consequently, vanquished the day after. Thus, the myth of the Patiala peg was born.
This Punjabi spin on the Old Fashioned cocktail draws inspiration from that original beverage. Here, we present it from a custom-made large-format bottle, but we've adjusted the instructions to make it better suited for a household kitchen.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Makes 1 litre, enough for 10-12 portions.
You Will Need
- 725g Scotch whisky blend
- 130g sugar syrup (1:1)
- 6g Angostura bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
- A dash of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Method
Place all the ingredients in a big container. Pour in 130g water, stir to combine, then put it in the refrigerator. You can store it for about three weeks.
To serve, measure out about 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a old fashioned glass containing ice (ideally one large cube). Serve straight away. If you're feeling traditional, you could measure it in by hand instead.
