Cocktail of the Week: The Patiala Peg Cocktail – Recipe

Folklore suggests that in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was adamant that his cricket team would triumph over a visiting English team. For a competitive edge, he hosted a grand party on the eve of the match, where he presented his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These were famously large four-finger whisky servings, historically poured from little finger to forefinger. Unsurprisingly, the English players overindulged, leaving them terribly the worse for wear and, inevitably, vanquished the day after. And so, the legend of the Patiala peg came to be.

This Punjabi variation of Old Fashioned cocktail is inspired by the Maharaja's beverage. In our establishment, we offer it from a specially crafted large-format bottle, but we've adjusted the recipe to make it more suitable for a home setting.

Patiala Peg

Yields 1 litre, enough for 10-12 drinks.

Ingredients

• 725g Scotch whisky blend
• 130g sugar syrup (1:1)
• 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
• 1g orange-flavoured bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
• A small pinch of salt
• 2g xanthan gum

Preparation

Combine all the ingredients in a sizeable jug. Include 130g water, agitate until fully incorporated, then put it in the fridge. It can be stored for as long as a few weeks.

When ready to drink, measure out approximately 90ml of the infused whisky into a short glass packed with ice (preferably one big block). Drink promptly. For a traditional touch, you could pour it using your fingers instead.