Drink for This Week: The Patiala Peg – How to Make It
Legend suggests that during 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was adamant that his cricket team would triumph over a touring English squad. To gain the upper hand, he threw a lavish party on the eve of the match, at which he offered his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These are incredibly large four-finger measure whisky servings, traditionally measured from pinky to forefinger. As expected, the English players drank too much, leaving them extremely the worse for wear and, consequently, beaten the day after. And so, the legend of the Patiala peg originated.
This inspired variation of old fashioned is inspired by that original concoction. At the restaurant, we present it from a specially crafted five-litre bottle, but we've adapted the instructions to make it easier for a household environment.
Patiala Peg
Makes 1 litre, serving 10-12 people.
What's Required
- 725g blended Scotch
- 130g sugar syrup (1:1)
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Method
Put everything in a sizeable jug. Include 130g water, mix to combine, then place it in the refrigerator. You can store it for about 21 days.
To serve, dispense about 90ml of the infused whisky into a short glass filled with ice (ideally one big block). Serve promptly. If you're feeling traditional, you could use the four-finger measure as they did.