In and a Bottle of Rum: A History of the New World in Ten Cocktails Wayne Curtis* describes Grog as follows:
“Pour two ounces of RUM into an eight-ounce glass. Fill with WATER. Add a touch of fresh LIME juice or BROWN SUGAR to taste.”
This proto-cocktail precedes the Daiquiri and was more of an effort to keep sailors upright on deck than something designed for the palate. The problem arises from the fact that water on ships in the age of exploration had a tendency to go rancid. Beer could work, but it would pick up off flavors. Other spirits also existed, but were in short supply. Rum though, was plentiful and got better in the barrel.
The result was drunk sailors. To remedy this, Admiral Vernon of the Royal Navy declared that a quart of rum be added to each pint of rum. The result, was a much less potent concoction that took on the name “Grogram” (named after the material of the Admiral coat). Ending up as Grog for short, it was supposedly doctored with limes and sugar to improve the flavor, and hence, the birth of Grog.
Grog
Smuggler’s Cove has a wonderful recipe from their book Smuggler’s Cove* – which should absolutely be on your shelf if you have any love of rum or Tiki drinks. Their Grog interprets Wayne Curtis’ description as follows:
The resulting Grog is delightfully simple, allowing the rum to shine through while being balanced and enticing. While you could make rum with either dark or light rum, our recommendation is dark rum. The caramel, spice, tropical fruit, and other aged flavors shine beautifully against the darker sugar. The lime adds just the right amount of pop to bring it to life without becoming a leading flavor. Grog is simple, yet delicious.
Drink Notes and Recommendations
Due to the subtle difference in formula and the history, this is our new recommendation for all dark rums in our testing. The lime is more complimentary in it’s smaller dose to the dark rum than in the daiquiri (although it works in either drink). You can see the daiquiri hiding in the background, it’s brighter, still delightfully flavorful, but the rum is more hidden.
- Rum – We find dark rum works best here, although you can use any kind of rum.
- Lime Juice – As always, use fresh squeezed.
- Rich Demerara Syrup – Combine 2 parts Demerara Sugar to 1 part water and bring to a simmer stirring over high heat. Remove from heat once the sugar has completely dissolved. Allow to cool and bottle. Refrigerate. The high sugar content will work to inhibit bacterial growth for an extended duration – throw out if any clouds or mold develop.
- Glassware – A standard rocks glass works well here.
- No Garnish
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