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

Legend suggests that during 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was set that his cricket team would triumph over a touring English team. To gain the upper hand, he organized a lavish party on the eve of the match, where he served his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These were famously substantial four-finger measure whisky pours, customarily gauged from little finger to forefinger. Predictably, the English players partook excessively, resulting in them being very hungover and, consequently, vanquished the next day. In this way, the legend of the Patiala peg originated.

This take on a spin on the Old Fashioned cocktail is inspired by that original concoction. Here, we serve it from a bespoke large-format bottle, but we've adapted the recipe to make it better suited for a domestic environment.

The Patiala Peg Recipe

Yields 1 litre, serving 10-12 people.

You Will Need

• 725g Scotch whisky blend
• 130g sugar syrup (1:1)
• 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
• 1g orange bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
• A dash of salt
• 2g xanthan gum

Preparation

Put everything in a big container. Add 130g water, agitate to combine, then transfer it in the fridge. You can store it for up to 21 days.

For serving, dispense about 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a rocks glass packed with ice (traditionally one big block). Drink straight away. If you're feeling traditional, you could pour it using your fingers as they did.