Tale has it that during 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was set that his cricket team would triumph over a touring English side. To gain the upper hand, he threw a lavish party the night before the match, where he served his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These are incredibly large four-finger measure whisky servings, customarily measured from pinky to index finger. As expected, the English players partook excessively, leaving them extremely hungover and, consequently, beaten the day after. And so, the myth of the Patiala peg was born.
This Punjabi variation of old fashioned is inspired by the Maharaja's concoction. Here, we present it from a specially crafted five-litre bottle, but we've modified the recipe to make it better suited for a household environment.
Makes 1 litre, enough for 10-12 people.
Place all the ingredients in a large bottle. Pour in 130g water, stir to combine, then put it in the fridge. It will now keep for about a few weeks.
When ready to drink, measure out about 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a old fashioned glass filled with ice (preferably one large cube). Drink promptly. For a traditional touch, you could use the four-finger measure for authenticity.
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