Drink for This Week: The Patiala Peg – Recipe

Folklore suggests that during 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was determined that his cricket team would triumph over a visiting English team. To secure an advantage, he organized a grand party on the eve of the match, where he served his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These were incredibly generous four-finger whisky servings, customarily gauged from pinky to forefinger. As expected, the English players overindulged, leaving them extremely hungover and, inevitably, beaten the next day. Thus, the myth of the Patiala peg originated.

This inspired variation of Old Fashioned cocktail is inspired by that original beverage. In our establishment, we present it from a custom-made large-format bottle, but we've adjusted the recipe to make it more suitable for a household environment.

The Patiala Peg Recipe

Produces 1 litre, enough for 10-12 portions.

What's Required

• 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

Method

Combine all the ingredients in a big container. Include 130g water, agitate thoroughly, then transfer it in the refrigerator. It will now keep for as long as a few weeks.

To serve, dispense roughly 90ml of the infused whisky into a short glass filled with ice (traditionally one large cube). Enjoy promptly. If you're feeling traditional, you could use the four-finger measure instead.