Patiala peg refers to a peg of whisky in which the amount is decided based on the height between the top of the index and base of the little fingers when held parallel to one another, against the side of the standard 26.5 oz (750ml) glass bottle. Equal to 3.5 standard shots in Britain, a Patiala peg can contain up to 120 ml of alcohol.
The name is said to originate from the story of Maharaja Sir Bhupinder Singh who ruled the princely state of Patiala from 1900-1938 and was the grandfather of former Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh. There are multiple versions of the story.
Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala, who became ruler at the age of nine, was known for his refined tastes. He had a polo team made up of legendary Sikh warriors, including himself.
One time, he invited an Irish team called Viceroy's Pride for a friendly tournament of tent pegging, which is a horseback competition where players pierce and extract small wooden plates (about the size of a size 12 shoe sole) from the ground using lances.
The Irish players were reputed heavy drinkers and had a routine of drinking heavily the night before matches while still performing well the next day.
In Patiala, a party was held the night before the tournament where both teams consumed large amounts of whisky. The next day, however, the Irish team couldn’t perform at their best due to the effects of alcohol and lost the competition.
This led to the rise of “Patiala Peg” as the Maharaja's team won, despite being hungover.
In another version, the king's determination to defeat an England team in a cricket match so he invited the rival team and got them drunk, leading to their defeat.
One way or another, the purpose of the drink is to enjoy it, either on your own or with those you share it with.
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