Drink of the Week: The Patiala Peg – Recipe
Legend has it that during 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was adamant that his team would succeed over a visiting English squad. To secure an advantage, he hosted a grand party the night before the match, where he offered his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These were notoriously large four-finger measure whisky servings, customarily poured from pinky to index finger. Unsurprisingly, the English players partook excessively, resulting in them being terribly hungover and, inevitably, beaten the following day. And so, the legend of the Patiala peg originated.
This Punjabi variation of old fashioned is inspired by that original concoction. At the restaurant, we present it from a custom-made large-format bottle, but we've adapted the formula to make it easier for a domestic kitchen.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Yields 1 litre, serving 10-12 portions.
Ingredients
- 725g Scotch whisky blend
- 130g sugar syrup
- 6g Angostura bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
- A small pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Method
Put all the ingredients in a big container. Add 130g water, stir until fully incorporated, then transfer it in the fridge. It will now keep for about a few weeks.
When ready to drink, measure out roughly 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a short glass containing ice (traditionally one large cube). Enjoy promptly. To honour tradition, you could use the four-finger measure for authenticity.
