Drink for This Week: The Patiala Peg – How to Make It

Tale suggests that back in 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was set that his cricket team would win over a visiting English team. To secure an advantage, he threw a grand party on the eve of the match, where he offered his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These are notoriously large four-finger measure whisky pours, customarily measured from pinky to index finger. Predictably, the English players partook excessively, leaving them very the worse for wear and, consequently, beaten the following day. In this way, the myth of the Patiala peg was born.

This inspired spin on the Old Fashioned cocktail takes its cue from the Maharaja's beverage. In our establishment, we offer it from a bespoke large-format bottle, but we've adapted the recipe to make it better suited for a domestic setting.

The Patiala Peg Recipe

Makes 1 litre, to serve 10-12 people.

What's Required

• 725g blended Scotch
• 130g sugar syrup
• 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
• 1g orange-flavoured bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
• A dash of salt
• 2g xanthan gum powder

Preparation

Place all the ingredients in a sizeable jug. Include 130g water, stir to combine, then place it in the refrigerator. It can be stored for up to 21 days.

For serving, dispense roughly 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a rocks glass packed with ice (preferably one big block). Drink promptly. If you're feeling traditional, you could pour it using your fingers for authenticity.