Cocktail This Week: The Patiala Peg – Recipe

Legend has it that during 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was set that his team would succeed over a visiting English team. For a competitive edge, he hosted a lavish party on the eve of the match, where he served his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These were incredibly substantial four-finger measure whisky pours, traditionally poured from pinky to forefinger. Unsurprisingly, the English players overindulged, resulting in them being very hungover and, consequently, vanquished the day after. And so, the story of the Patiala peg came to be.

This take on a kind-of Old Fashioned cocktail is inspired by that original concoction. At the restaurant, we present it from a custom-made five-litre bottle, but we've adjusted the instructions to make it better suited for a household setting.

Patiala Peg

Makes 1 litre, serving 10-12 portions.

You Will Need

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

Preparation

Place all the ingredients in a large bottle. Include 130g water, agitate until fully incorporated, then transfer it in the fridge. You can store it for about a few weeks.

When ready to drink, pour about 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a short glass packed with ice (ideally one big block). Drink immediately. If you're feeling traditional, you could measure it in by hand as they did.