Drink for This Week: The Patiala Peg Cocktail – How to Make It
Legend claims that back in 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was determined that his team would triumph over a touring English side. To gain the upper hand, he organized a grand party on the eve of the match, where he presented his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These are famously large four-finger whisky servings, customarily poured from pinky to index finger. Unsurprisingly, the English players overindulged, leaving them very the worse for wear and, consequently, vanquished the day after. In this way, the legend of the Patiala peg originated.
This Punjabi spin on the Old Fashioned cocktail takes its cue from Singh's drink. Here, we present it from a bespoke large-format bottle, but we've adapted the formula to make it better suited for a home kitchen.
Patiala Peg
Makes 1 litre, enough for 10-12 drinks.
You Will Need
- 725g blended Scotch
- 130g sugar syrup
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (approximately 1â…“ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (about â…• tsp)
- A small pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Instructions
Place all the ingredients in a large bottle. Pour in 130g water, mix thoroughly, then transfer it in the refrigerator. It will now keep for about 21 days.
When ready to drink, pour roughly 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a old fashioned glass filled with ice (ideally one big block). Enjoy straight away. To honour tradition, you could measure it in by hand as they did.
