Cocktail for This Week: The Patiala Peg – Recipe

Folklore has it that in 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was set that his cricket team would win over a touring English squad. To gain the upper hand, he threw a lavish party the night before the match, where he served his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These are famously generous four-finger measure whisky pours, traditionally gauged from little finger to index finger. Unsurprisingly, the English players overindulged, resulting in them being extremely hungover and, consequently, beaten the following day. Thus, the legend of the Patiala peg came to be.

This inspired variation of old fashioned takes its cue from Singh's beverage. At the restaurant, we present it from a specially crafted five-litre bottle, but we've adapted the instructions to make it more suitable for a household environment.

The Patiala Peg Recipe

Makes 1 litre, to serve 10-12 portions.

What's Required

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

Preparation

Place everything in a big container. Add 130g water, stir thoroughly, then put it in the fridge. It can be stored for about a few weeks.

When ready to drink, pour roughly 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a short glass filled with ice (preferably one large cube). Drink promptly. If you're feeling traditional, you could measure it in by hand for authenticity.