Drink This Week: The Patiala Peg – How to Make It
Tale has it that back in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was determined that his team would triumph over a visiting English side. For a competitive edge, he hosted a lavish party on the eve of the match, where he presented his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These were notoriously generous four-finger whisky pours, customarily gauged from little finger to forefinger. As expected, the English players partook excessively, leaving them very hungover and, consequently, defeated the day after. In this way, the myth of the Patiala peg originated.
This inspired variation of old fashioned takes its cue from the Maharaja's beverage. At the restaurant, we offer it from a bespoke five-litre bottle, but we've modified the instructions to make it easier for a household environment.
Patiala Peg
Makes 1 litre, serving 10-12 drinks.
Ingredients
- 725g blended scotch whisky
- 130g sugar syrup
- 6g Angostura bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A small pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Method
Place all the ingredients in a large bottle. Add 130g water, mix to combine, then place it in the fridge. It can be stored for as long as a few weeks.
To serve, pour roughly 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a rocks glass filled with ice (traditionally one big block). Drink straight away. To honour tradition, you could use the four-finger measure for authenticity.
