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

Legend claims that back in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was adamant that his team would win over a touring English team. To gain the upper hand, he organized a splendid party the night before the match, at which he served his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These were famously large four-finger measure whisky servings, customarily gauged from little finger to index finger. Unsurprisingly, the English players partook excessively, leaving them very hungover and, consequently, defeated the day after. In this way, the legend of the Patiala peg came to be.

This inspired variation of old fashioned draws inspiration from that original concoction. In our establishment, we present it from a bespoke five-litre bottle, but we've modified the formula to make it more suitable for a domestic setting.

The Patiala Peg Recipe

Produces 1 litre, serving 10-12 drinks.

What's Required

• 725g blended scotch whisky
• 130g simple syrup
• 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
• 1g orange bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
• A small pinch of salt
• 2g xanthan gum powder

Instructions

Put all the ingredients in a large bottle. Include 130g water, mix until fully incorporated, then place it in the fridge. It will now keep for as long as three weeks.

To serve, pour approximately 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a old fashioned glass filled with ice (traditionally one large cube). Enjoy immediately. If you're feeling traditional, you could measure it in by hand instead.