Drink This Week: The Patiala Peg – Recipe
Folklore claims that back in 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was determined that his team would triumph over a visiting English side. To gain the upper hand, he hosted a splendid party on the eve of the match, where he presented his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These are famously large four-finger whisky servings, traditionally gauged from pinky to index finger. Predictably, the English players drank too much, leaving them extremely hungover and, consequently, vanquished the day after. Thus, the legend of the Patiala peg came to be.
This inspired spin on the old fashioned is inspired by that original beverage. Here, we offer it from a bespoke large-format bottle, but we've adapted the formula to make it easier for a household setting.
Patiala Peg
Yields 1 litre, enough for 10-12 portions.
Ingredients
- 725g blended scotch whisky
- 130g simple syrup
- 6g Angostura bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A dash of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Preparation
Combine everything in a big container. Include 130g water, stir until fully incorporated, then transfer it in the fridge. It can be stored for as long as three weeks.
For serving, measure out about 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a old fashioned glass containing ice (ideally one large cube). Serve straight away. For a traditional touch, you could pour it using your fingers for authenticity.