Cocktail This Week: The Patiala Peg Cocktail – How to Make It
Tale has it that during 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was set that his cricket team would triumph over a visiting English side. To secure an advantage, he organized a splendid party on the eve of the match, where he offered his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These are famously generous four-finger measure whisky pours, traditionally measured from little finger to index finger. Unsurprisingly, the English players drank too much, resulting in them being extremely hungover and, consequently, vanquished the next day. And so, the story of the Patiala peg was born.
This Punjabi variation of Old Fashioned cocktail draws inspiration from Singh's drink. Here, we present it from a custom-made large-format bottle, but we've adapted the instructions to make it better suited for a domestic setting.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Makes 1 litre, to serve 10-12 people.
Ingredients
- 725g blended scotch whisky
- 130g sugar syrup (1:1)
- 6g Angostura bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
- A pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Instructions
Place all the ingredients in a sizeable jug. Add 130g water, agitate to combine, then transfer it in the refrigerator. It can be stored for up to 21 days.
When ready to drink, dispense approximately 90ml of the infused whisky into a old fashioned glass containing ice (traditionally one large cube). Serve straight away. If you're feeling traditional, you could use the four-finger measure for authenticity.
