Drink of the Week: The Patiala Peg – Recipe

Legend claims that during 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was adamant that his team would win over a visiting English team. For a competitive edge, he organized a grand party the night before the match, at which he served his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These are notoriously substantial four-finger whisky servings, traditionally poured from little finger to index finger. As expected, the English players drank too much, leaving them terribly the worse for wear and, consequently, defeated the following day. And so, the story of the Patiala peg originated.

This inspired spin on the old fashioned takes its cue from the Maharaja's concoction. At the restaurant, we serve it from a custom-made five-litre bottle, but we've adapted the instructions to make it easier for a domestic environment.

Patiala Peg

Yields 1 litre, serving 10-12 portions.

Ingredients

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

Instructions

Combine all the ingredients in a sizeable jug. Include 130g water, stir to combine, then put it in the refrigerator. It will now keep for about 21 days.

For serving, pour roughly 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a old fashioned glass containing ice (preferably one big block). Enjoy promptly. To honour tradition, you could measure it in by hand instead.