Drink of the Week: The Patiala Peg Cocktail – How to Make It

Folklore suggests that back in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was adamant that his cricket team would succeed over a touring English squad. To secure an advantage, he threw a lavish party on the eve of the match, where he offered his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These are incredibly substantial four-finger whisky servings, historically poured from little finger to index finger. Unsurprisingly, the English players overindulged, resulting in them being terribly hungover and, consequently, beaten the following day. In this way, the legend of the Patiala peg originated.

This inspired spin on the old fashioned is inspired by the Maharaja's concoction. In our establishment, we offer it from a custom-made five-litre bottle, but we've adapted the recipe to make it more suitable for a home environment.

The Patiala Peg Recipe

Produces 1 litre, serving 10-12 drinks.

What's Required

• 725g blended Scotch
• 130g sugar syrup (1:1)
• 6g Angostura bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
• 1g orange bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
• A pinch of salt
• 2g xanthan gum

Instructions

Put all the ingredients in a big container. Include 130g water, agitate thoroughly, then put it in the fridge. It will now keep for as long as 21 days.

To serve, measure out roughly 90ml of the infused whisky into a short glass packed with ice (traditionally one big block). Serve promptly. To honour tradition, you could pour it using your fingers instead.