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

Tale claims that in 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was set that his cricket team would win over a visiting English team. To gain the upper hand, he hosted a splendid party on the eve of the match, at which he served his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These are famously substantial four-finger whisky pours, traditionally poured from pinky to index finger. Predictably, the English players overindulged, leaving them extremely the worse for wear and, consequently, defeated the next day. And so, the legend of the Patiala peg originated.

This take on a variation of Old Fashioned cocktail is inspired by Singh's beverage. At the restaurant, we serve it from a specially crafted large-format bottle, but we've adapted the formula to make it easier for a domestic kitchen.

The Patiala Peg Recipe

Produces 1 litre, enough for 10-12 people.

What's Required

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

Instructions

Place all the ingredients in a sizeable jug. Pour in 130g water, mix thoroughly, then transfer it in the refrigerator. It will now keep for as long as three weeks.

For serving, measure out approximately 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a rocks glass filled with ice (ideally one big block). Drink immediately. For a traditional touch, you could measure it in by hand instead.