The obvious choice for my summertime alcoholic refreshment is normally the Dark ‘N’ Storm. Occasionally though, I want to drink something different, something unexpected, enter the Navy Grog. Created in 1941 by Donn Beach in Hollywood, the “Tiki era” drink is a mix of three rums, fresh lime and grapefruit juice, and honey syrup. The Navy Grog is the perfect compliment to the Dark N’ Stormy – for those easy flowing days of summertime drinking.
Per The New York Times:
It’s a throwback, as all New York cocktails are these days, but from what cocktail historians would deem more “recent†history: the 1930’s. That’s when Ernest Raymond Beaumont-Gantt, as Donn Beach, started serving dolled-up rum drinks at his Polynesian-themed restaurants, kicking off the decades-long “tiki†phase of American drinking. Along with the Mai Tai and Zombie, the Navy Grog was part of his holy trinity of tiki drinks. “These are truly classic cocktails,†Mr. Miller said. “They’re bright, refreshing, with tastes that really pop in your mouth. They’re relics that people should get to know.â€
Drink your Navy Grog at: Death & Co. or Elettaria
NAVY GROG
1 ounce Demerara rum
1 ounce Gosling’s Black Seal rum
1 ounce Cruzan Estate Light rum
¾ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
¾ ounce freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
1 ounce honey syrup *
¾ ounce club soda
Orange slice and cherry, for garnish.
Shake all liquid ingredients except club soda together with ice in cocktail shaker. Strain into Collins glass filled with ice, top with soda and add garnish.
Yield: 1 serving
* For honey syrup, mix 2 parts honey with 1 part warm water, then cool.
Delicious! My personal favorite for summer is the Old-Fasioned, made properly with Canadian Rye…I’m thirsty.
This sounds like a fun drink for lazy Sunday afternoons…hey, whuddaya know?
The Navy Grog is a favorite! Now, if you really want to do an authentic version for a party (and you have the time on your hands) you can add an ice cone made from finely shaved ice that has been molded into a cone shape in a Pilsener glass. You run a drinking straw through the center of the cone and there you have it. Obsessive, but fun! Cheers!