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

Tale suggests that in 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was adamant that his cricket team would succeed over a visiting English squad. For a competitive edge, he threw a grand party the night before the match, where he offered his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These are famously substantial four-finger whisky pours, customarily poured from pinky to index finger. Predictably, the English players drank too much, resulting in them being extremely the worse for wear and, consequently, vanquished the day after. And so, the myth of the Patiala peg was born.

This inspired variation of old fashioned draws inspiration from Singh's beverage. Here, we offer it from a custom-made five-litre bottle, but we've modified the formula to make it easier for a domestic environment.

The Patiala Peg Recipe

Yields 1 litre, serving 10-12 drinks.

What's Required

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

Instructions

Place everything in a large bottle. Add 130g water, mix thoroughly, then transfer it in the fridge. It will now keep for as long as 21 days.

When ready to drink, measure out approximately 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a short glass packed with ice (preferably one big block). Serve immediately. If you're feeling traditional, you could measure it in by hand as they did.