Monday, August 19, 2013

Tiki Drinks: The Navy Grog recipe and variations, a classic tiki cocktail drink.


Tiki recipes: How to make the classic Navy Grog, a famous tiki cocktail drink. Here are three different Navy Grog recipes that you can try at home today!


Another classic vintage tiki cocktail drink.  One of the triads of tiki cocktails, along with the Mai Tai and Zombie. Rummer has it that it was Frank Sinatra's favorite drink when visiting a certain tiki bar in California. Like the Zombie Cocktail, this is one stiff drink, and usually had a limit of 2 on the tiki bar menus.

At the core the drink calls for 3 rums, lime juice, grapefruit juice and honey. From there it has a few variations. Some add passion fruit, others guava, some cinnamon and even allspice syrup can be added to make the navy grog.

This drink is served very cold, the shaved ice was pressed into a cone, the straw inserted into the center, which makes a volcano type shape, a very iconic visual drink.

ORIGINS:
This one is gain shrouded in a bit of tiki mystery. Legend has it that the original formula is still a secret. Both Trader Vic and Don the Beachcomber have it in their books, but Don the Beachcomber is the true founder of the drink around 1941. But the seeds of the drink date back much, much farther than Don Beach.

The Royal Navy would mix rum, water and fruit aboard there ships around 1756. Having to be stored for a long time, the water would go a bit bad, think stale and slime. They would mix cinnamon, rum, lemon juice with the water to make it more pleasant tasting, and that is the true origin of the navy grog cocktail.

The addition of the rum would also help the water keep longer, and the citrus fruits added vitamin C to help fight off scurvy and other diseases the where common among sea folk at the time.

Also, there is a old Caribbean recipe that used light rum, water, grapefruit juice, orange juice, pineapple juice, cinnamon and honey, and this adds a bit to the historical story.

Navy Grog Recipe Variations:

Don the Beachcomber's Navy Grog Recipe:

1 oz Light Puerto Rican Rum (Bacardi Silver, Castillo White, Ron Castillo White)
1 oz Dark Jamaican Rum (Myers Dark, Coruba Dark, Appleton Estate)
1 oz Demerara Rum
3/4 oz Lime Juice (fresh)
3/4 oz Grapefruit Juice
3/4 oz Honey (warm the honey first)
1 oz Club Soda


Trader Vic's Navy Grog Recipe

3/4 oz Fresh lime juice
1/2 oz Grapefruit juice
3/4 oz Allspice syrup
1 oz Light Puerto Rican Rum (Bacardi Silver, Castillo White, Ron Castillo White)
1 oz Demerara rum
1 oz Gold Jamaican rum (Appleton Special Gold, Appleton Estate VX, Mount Gay Eclipse, Sea Wynde) 



Popular Navy Grog Recipe

• 1 oz Demerara rum (EX; El Dorado Dark)
• 1 oz Dark Rum (EX: Gosling’s Black Seal or Captain Morgan)
• 1 oz Light Rum (Cruzan Estate Light or Bacardi Carta Blanca)
• ¾ oz Fresh lime juice
• ¾ oz fresh grapefruit juice
• 1 oz Honey syrup (2 parts honey with 1 part warm water)
• ¾ ounce club soda

MIXING INSTRUCTIONS:
Shake all liquid ingredients in cocktail shaker. Pour into Collins glass or tiki mug filled with ice, top with soda.  Garnish with fresh fruit or flower.


Be sure to visit the other great tiki cocktail recipes and articles.

Share us with others please.

Summary
Tiki Drink Recipes Presents: The navy grog recipe, a vintage cocktail that is popular at tiki bars and tiki lounges. The Navy Grog is a classic rum recipe that you will enjoy. Learn about some classic mixed drinks and vintage cocktails.