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

Tale claims that in 1920, Bhupinder Singh, 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, where he served his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These were famously generous four-finger measure whisky servings, traditionally poured from little finger to index finger. Unsurprisingly, the English players overindulged, resulting in them being very hungover and, consequently, vanquished the following day. Thus, the story of the Patiala peg was born.

This inspired spin on the old fashioned is inspired by Singh's drink. At the restaurant, we present it from a custom-made five-litre bottle, but we've adapted the recipe to make it better suited for a home kitchen.

The Patiala Peg Recipe

Yields 1 litre, serving 10-12 drinks.

What's Required

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

Preparation

Put all the ingredients in a sizeable jug. Add 130g water, mix to combine, then place it in the fridge. You can store it for about a few weeks.

When ready to drink, dispense about 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a old fashioned glass containing ice (traditionally one big block). Enjoy straight away. To honour tradition, you could pour it using your fingers as they did.