Drinky-Drink

Navy Grog

1/2 oz. light rum

1/2 oz. gold rum

1/2 oz. dark rum

1/2 oz. Grand Mariner

1 oz. orange juice

1 oz. pineapple juice

1 oz. lemon juice

Splash 151 rum

Blend rums, Grand Mariner and juices in an old-fashioned glass with ice. Float a splash of 151 on top. Garnish with cinnamon sticks, oranges or pineapple slice.

On Veterans Day, we should all take a moment to honor those who have served our country, by partaking in the famed drink of the Navy—the rum Grog.

The Grog has been the standard drink of seamen since the 17th century, when the British navy began to trade with the Americas. Rum was one of the gems of the New World, and captains gave their sailors a ration of the liquor. A vice-admiral nicknamed “Old Grog” began a policy of diluting the sailors’ rations of rum with water. He mixed in sugar and cinnamon to add flavor and threw in some lime juice to help ward off scurvy. Shortly thereafter, Navy Grog was served twice a day on deck and became a defining part of ship life. The drink was so popular that the British Royal Navy continued issuing “special rum allowances” until 1970. Americans dropped the rum ration in 1862.

The recipe for Grog has changed considerably from its original ship-deck version. The mixture of different types of rum gives the drink a more complex flavor, and the abundance of fruit juices makes it palatable to less-seasoned drinkers. Experiment with different flavors of juice—grapefruit and guava are popular—and different mixtures of liquors. If you’re feeling cheap (or minimalist), try using just one or two types of rum.