Drink This Week: The Patiala Peg – Recipe
Tale claims that back in 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was set that his cricket team would succeed over a touring English squad. To gain the upper hand, he hosted a lavish party the night before the match, at which he offered his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These were notoriously substantial four-finger measure whisky pours, historically measured from little finger to forefinger. As expected, the English players drank too much, resulting in them being very hungover and, inevitably, defeated the next day. And so, the story of the Patiala peg originated.
This inspired spin on the old fashioned draws inspiration from that original beverage. In our establishment, we serve it from a bespoke large-format bottle, but we've modified the formula to make it easier for a home setting.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Produces 1 litre, serving 10-12 portions.
What's Required
- 725g Scotch whisky blend
- 130g sugar syrup (1:1)
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Method
Combine everything in a big container. Include 130g water, stir thoroughly, then place it in the refrigerator. You can store it for as long as a few weeks.
When ready to drink, pour approximately 90ml of the infused whisky into a short glass packed with ice (preferably one large cube). Serve immediately. To honour tradition, you could pour it using your fingers as they did.