Drink for This Week: The Patiala Peg – How to Make It
Legend has it that in 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was set that his cricket team would succeed over a touring English side. For a competitive edge, he hosted a splendid party on the eve of the match, where he served his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These were incredibly generous four-finger measure whisky pours, traditionally gauged from pinky to forefinger. Unsurprisingly, the English players drank too much, resulting in them being terribly hungover and, inevitably, beaten the day after. Thus, the legend of the Patiala peg came to be.
This Punjabi variation of old fashioned draws inspiration from that original concoction. At the restaurant, we present it from a bespoke large-format bottle, but we've adjusted the formula to make it better suited for a home environment.
Patiala Peg
Yields 1 litre, to serve 10-12 drinks.
You Will Need
- 725g blended Scotch
- 130g simple syrup
- 6g Angostura bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Method
Put everything in a sizeable jug. Pour in 130g water, mix to combine, then put it in the refrigerator. It will now keep for up to 21 days.
To serve, measure out roughly 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a old fashioned glass containing ice (ideally one large cube). Enjoy promptly. For a traditional touch, you could measure it in by hand instead.
