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

Folklore suggests that during 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was determined that his team would triumph over a visiting English team. To gain the upper hand, he organized a splendid party the night before the match, at which he offered his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These were incredibly substantial four-finger whisky servings, customarily poured from pinky to forefinger. Unsurprisingly, the English players drank too much, leaving them extremely the worse for wear and, consequently, beaten the next day. And so, the legend of the Patiala peg originated.

This Punjabi spin on the Old Fashioned cocktail takes its cue from Singh's drink. Here, we present it from a specially crafted five-litre bottle, but we've adapted the recipe to make it better suited for a domestic environment.

The Patiala Peg Recipe

Makes 1 litre, to serve 10-12 people.

What's Required

  • 725g blended Scotch
  • 130g sugar syrup (1:1)
  • 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
  • 1g orange bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
  • A small pinch of salt
  • 2g xanthan gum

Preparation

Combine everything in a large bottle. Include 130g water, stir to combine, then transfer it in the fridge. It will now keep for up to 21 days.

For serving, measure out approximately 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a short glass containing ice (preferably one large cube). Enjoy immediately. For a traditional touch, you could measure it in by hand instead.

Timothy Haynes
Timothy Haynes

Elara is a passionate gamer and tech writer with years of experience covering industry trends and game analysis.