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

Legend suggests that in 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was determined that his team would succeed over a touring English squad. To gain the upper hand, he hosted a splendid party the night before the match, at which he offered his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These are famously generous four-finger measure whisky pours, traditionally gauged from little finger to index finger. As expected, the English players overindulged, leaving them extremely the worse for wear and, consequently, defeated the day after. Thus, the legend of the Patiala peg originated.

This Punjabi variation of Old Fashioned cocktail takes its cue from Singh's drink. Here, we serve it from a custom-made five-litre bottle, but we've adapted the formula to make it more suitable for a home setting.

The Patiala Peg Recipe

Yields 1 litre, enough for 10-12 people.

What's Required

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

Preparation

Place everything in a large bottle. Pour in 130g water, stir until fully incorporated, then place it in the fridge. It can be stored for up to 21 days.

For serving, measure out about 90ml of the infused whisky into a short glass filled with ice (preferably one big block). Serve promptly. For a traditional touch, you could measure it in by hand as they did.