Drink of the Week: The Patiala Peg – Recipe

Folklore suggests that during 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was determined that his team would win over a visiting English squad. To secure an advantage, he organized a splendid party on the eve of the match, at which he offered his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These are incredibly substantial four-finger whisky servings, traditionally gauged from little finger to forefinger. As expected, the English players drank too much, resulting in them being very the worse for wear and, inevitably, defeated the following day. And so, the myth of the Patiala peg came to be.

This inspired variation of old fashioned draws inspiration from that original concoction. At the restaurant, we present it from a bespoke large-format bottle, but we've adjusted the recipe to make it more suitable for a home setting.

The Patiala Peg Recipe

Produces 1 litre, to serve 10-12 portions.

You Will Need

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

Method

Put all the ingredients in a sizeable jug. Include 130g water, agitate to combine, then transfer it in the fridge. It can be stored for as long as a few weeks.

For serving, pour approximately 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a short glass containing ice (ideally one big block). Serve promptly. If you're feeling traditional, you could use the four-finger measure instead.