The recipe is based on the original grog which was drunk by the Royal Navy. Originally, a grog was a mix of water and rum. Later citrus was added to mask the foulness of the water. Also to add vitamin C to the drinks of the sailors to keep them healthier. After a while, the British received the nickname "Limeys" because of the amount of limes they consumed. Later the Continental & U.S. Navy also adopted the Grog. They experimented with rye whiskey instead of rum and called their version of the grog the "Bob Smith".
The Navy Grog we drink today is a typical Tiki Cocktail. It was first served in Don the Beachcomber bars and restaurants in the 1940's and 50's. This was not a typical Donn Beach recipe as it did not contain a blend of 5 rums or no additional alchohol like Pernod or Triple Sec. His original recipe contained a blend of 3 different rums, lime juice and grapejuice. It was served in an Old Fashioned glass with an ice cone surrounding the straw.
Later, different recipes for the Navy Grog popped up. The one I personally prefer and serve included. I searched for a long time for the ideal recipe. I tried a lot of different kinds of rum and a lot of recipes I found online but none of them really to my liking. Once I had found XM Royal Demerara rum in the liquor store, things improved. This rum was perfect for this type of cocktail. It has a strong flavour and is still soft. Some times I even drink this one straight up. The recipe I found in a book Niklas had bought: Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails. The cocktail was called the Ancient Mariner. It is a variation to the original Navy Grog recipe. The drink contains a bled of demerara and Jamaican rum. I have tried Appleton Estate, but I prefer Plantation Jamaica from 2001 much more. The recipe I found also contained Allspice Dram. This is something I did not have at the time. Recently, I found a recipe to make Allspice or Pimento Dram myself so very soon I will give this a try as well. Instead of Allspice, I simply used Angostura Bitters, wich also adds to the softness of the cocktail. As for grapefruit, I like both white and red. The white grapefruitjuice gives a little sour taste to the drink whereas red grapefruit gives the softer flavour I prefer.
The First time I made this Navy Grog, I had some kick-ass new Tiki-mugs. These are tall ones as you can see on the picture. I served it on crushed ice and garnished with a lemonslice and a mintsprig. Now however, I have some new and wider mugs. I fill them with icecubes and pour the shaken cocktail unstrained in to the mug and garnish with a lemonslice and a mintsprig.
Recipe:
- 3 cl. Demerara Rum
- 3 cl. Dark Jamaican rum
- 1.5 cl. Red grapefruitjuice
- 2 cl. Lime juice
- 1.5 cl. simple syrup
- 3 dahses Angostura Bitters
Shake all the ingredients vigorously in a shaker with icecubes and pour into unstrained in a tiki mug filled with icecubes. Garnisch with a slice of lime and a mintsprig.
No comments:
Post a Comment