Navy Grog (California)

It was not uncommon for both Bergeron and Beach to take credit for the same cocktails (they were fierce competitors) and that is the case for this modernized navy grog recipe. Yet, neither can claim to have invented the navy grog because it was the name given to the daily rum ration of British sailors in the 1700s. Rum and lime juice are the only ingredients that everyone can seem to agree on when it comes to the navy grog. Grapefruit juice is also common, and at least one recipe adds soda. No matter which you choose, you will need to have a good supply of rum to mix up any of these recipes. The navy grog recipes that are most familiar today stem from the tiki bar scene, which began in the 1940s. It is said that Don Beach was the first to mix it up. Trader Vic's has a claim on the cocktail's invention as well. Both of their recipes are featured here, with Don the Beachcomber's being this first listing. Try each to see which you like best.

1 oz dark rum
1 oz demerara rum
1 oz white rum
¾ oz lime juice, freshly squeezed
¾ oz white grapefruit juice, freshly squeezed
1 oz honey syrup
2 oz club soda, or to taste

Garnish:
orange slice
cherry

Pour the rums, juices, and syrup into a cocktail shaker, and fill with ice. Shake well.

Strain into a Collins glass filled with fresh ice.

Garnish with an orange slice and cherry skewer. Serve and enjoy.

Makes 1 cocktail.

Cook's Notes: Honey syrup is simply watered-down honey, which makes it easier to mix into drinks. To make it, combine equal parts of honey and water and mix it well until you get an even consistency.

Trader Vic's Navy Grog: There is not a big difference in this recipe from Don the Beachcomber's above. The key difference is the use of pimento dram (or an allspice syrup) in place of the honey syrup. Also, notice that less grapefruit is used here and this is one of the few Navy grog recipes that skip the soda.

1 oz light Puerto Rican rum
1 oz gold Jamaican rum
1 oz demerara rum
¾ oz lime juice, freshly squeezed
½ oz grapefruit juice
¾ oz pimento (allspice) dram

This cocktail is shaken and served over a mound (or customarily, an inverted ice cone) of finely shaven ice with a straw stuck inside.

Dale DeGroff's Navy Grog: Dale DeGroff (also known as King Cocktail) has a completely different take on Navy grog in his book, "The Craft of the Cocktail." It certainly leans more toward that traditional 18th-century grog of British sailors and is an equally great cocktail.

1½ oz Pusser's Navy Rum
1 oz orange curaçao
¾ oz lime juice, freshly squeezed
2 oz water
2 oz orange juice, freshly squeezed
dash Angostura bitters

Shake the ingredients with ice and pour into a double old-fashioned glass.