Cocktail of the Week: The Patiala Peg – How to Make It

Folklore claims that in 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was set that his team would triumph over a touring English squad. To gain the upper hand, he threw a grand party on the eve of the match, where he offered his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These were famously substantial four-finger whisky servings, traditionally measured from pinky to index finger. As expected, the English players drank too much, resulting in them being terribly the worse for wear and, inevitably, vanquished the following day. And so, the legend of the Patiala peg came to be.

This Punjabi variation of Old Fashioned cocktail draws inspiration from that original drink. At the restaurant, we offer it from a specially crafted five-litre bottle, but we've adapted the formula to make it more suitable for a domestic setting.

Patiala Peg

Yields 1 litre, enough for 10-12 people.

What's Required

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

Method

Combine everything in a big container. Add 130g water, stir thoroughly, then place it in the fridge. You can store it for about three weeks.

When ready to drink, dispense approximately 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a short glass filled with ice (traditionally one large cube). Serve straight away. If you're feeling traditional, you could measure it in by hand as they did.