Navy Grog

The Navy Grog is a cocktail which consists of Rum (normally 3 ounces), Lime Juice, Grapefruit Juice, as well as Club Soda and other ingredients depending upon the recipe source. The cocktail was purportedly invented at Don the Beachcomber in Hollywood, California, in 1941.

Recipes

From Don the Beachcomber, according to “Beachbum Berry’s Grog Log” by Jeff Berry and Annene Kaye (1998)

There is disagreement as to whether a pinch of nutmeg was included in this cocktail or not. It may have been a later addition as a response to Trader Vic's using allspice in its Navy Grog recipe.

• 1 oz Light Puerto Rican Rum
• 1 oz Dark Jamaican Rum
• 1 oz Demerara Rum
• 3/4 oz Lime Juice
• 3/4 oz Grapefruit Juice
• 3/4 oz Honey
• 1 oz Club Soda

Heat honey until liquid. Mix with juices in blender. Stir in rums and soda. Pour into glass filled with crushed ice. Optional: Add a pinch of nutmeg in the blender.

Trader Vic's Navy Grog

The Trader Vic's version is an obvious copy of the Navy Grog from Don the Beachcomber. However, it contained a key addition of allspice syrup (although some argue it should be allspice dram instead), and swapped rock candy syrup for the honey and excluded the club soda.

• 3/4 oz Fresh lime juice
• 1/2 oz Grapefruit juice
• 3/4 oz Allspice syrup (*)
• 1/2 oz Rock Candy Syrup
• 1 oz Light Puerto Rican Rum
• 1 oz Gold Jamaican rum
• 1 oz Demerara rum

Put ingredients into cocktail shaker and shake well with lots of crushed ice. Pour into a double old-fashioned glass. Garnish with a sugar swizzle stick.

(*)Allspice Syrup: Grind enough whole dried allspice berries to make 6 level tablespoons. Place the ground allspice in a saucepan with 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water. Bring it all to a boil, then cover and simmer for two minutes. Remove the saucepan from heat and — keeping it covered — let steep for two to three hours, then strain into a bottle and refrigerate.

Another Version

Allspice syrup and allspice dram are not always easy to come by. Using a spiced rum can partially replicate the flavor.

• 2 oz Sailor Jerry Spiced Navy Rum
• 1 oz Pusser's Navy Rum
• 3/4 oz Fresh Lime Juice
• 3/4 oz Grapefruit Juice
• 3/4 oz Simple Syrup

Put all the ingredients except the black strap rum into a shaker with crushed ice. Shake and pour into an old fashioned glass. Top with the black strap rum. Add lime shell and mint sprig for garnish.

Links of Interest

• I'll Have Some Rum, Hold the Umbrella - New York Times article on Navy Grog
• Bacardi Navy Grog