Tale has it that in 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was set that his team would win over a touring English team. For a competitive edge, he hosted a splendid party on the eve of the match, where he served his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These are incredibly generous four-finger whisky pours, customarily measured from little finger to forefinger. Unsurprisingly, the English players drank too much, resulting in them being very hungover and, inevitably, vanquished the next day. Thus, the legend of the Patiala peg originated.
This Punjabi spin on the old fashioned takes its cue from that original beverage. In our establishment, we present it from a custom-made five-litre bottle, but we've modified the recipe to make it better suited for a household environment.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Yields 1 litre, to serve 10-12 drinks.
What's Required
- 725g blended scotch whisky
- 130g sugar syrup (1:1)
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A small pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Method
Combine all the ingredients in a sizeable jug. Pour in 130g water, agitate thoroughly, then put it in the refrigerator. It will now keep for as long as a few weeks.
When ready to drink, pour roughly 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a rocks glass containing ice (preferably one large cube). Drink immediately. To honour tradition, you could pour it using your fingers as they did.
