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

Legend has it that in 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was adamant that his team would win over a visiting English side. To gain the upper hand, he threw a splendid party on the eve of the match, at which he served his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These are famously generous four-finger measure whisky pours, traditionally measured from little finger to forefinger. Predictably, the English players partook excessively, leaving them extremely hungover and, inevitably, beaten the following day. In this way, the myth of the Patiala peg was born.

This take on a kind-of old fashioned draws inspiration from the Maharaja's drink. At the restaurant, we offer it from a custom-made five-litre bottle, but we've adapted the recipe to make it easier for a household environment.

The Patiala Peg Recipe

Yields 1 litre, to serve 10-12 people.

You Will Need

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

Method

Place all the ingredients in a big container. Include 130g water, mix thoroughly, then place it in the refrigerator. You can store it for up to a few weeks.

For serving, measure out approximately 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a old fashioned 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.