Grog - the drink of sailors

Grog is the drink of sailors. History and recipes

Greetings to everyone, friends, on this cool winter evening!

Outside the window it’s minus 12, the blizzard is screaming. I want to wrap myself in a warm blanket, pick up a cup of hot drink and sit by the fireplace or flickering candles over a slow conversation, stroking a purring cat or a warm fluffy dog. Stop! And the hot drink is tea with lemon again?! Na-do-e-lo! I wish you something stronger, more aromatic, warming.

There is grog, punch, mulled wine, our Russian sbiten, after all! But what this grog is, how it differs from punch and other hot hot drinks - I, like most of you, I’m sure, didn’t have many ideas.

But don't be upset! You have me, and I’m very picky! Once I’ve decided, I’ll definitely drink it! But, because I don’t drink everything in order, I will first carefully study what and how. Read on - I already understand everything.

Content

What's the difference between punch, grog and mulled wine?
What is grog anyway?
History of the drink
Compound
Crafting Recipes

What's the difference between punch, grog and mulled wine?

Having explored the entire “hot” alcohol map of the world, I found more than 20 options for drinks with alcohol that are served hot (not counting almost 200 cocktail recipes based on them). The top 10 included:

Punch.
Mulled wine.
Grog.
Toddy.
Roast cider.
Chocco Brandy.
Krambambula.
Sbiten.
Varenukha.
Russian grog.

Having appreciated that the name grog appears twice in this list, I decided that I would start specifically with it - grog. Having examined the views of professionals, and I was not too lazy to consult with very distinguished sources, I will tell you straight out:

All European hot drinks with alcohol are varieties of Arabic punch. And grog too.
All hot Slavic drinks are made on the basis of honey and spices (more on this separately).

What is grog anyway?

The funny thing is that the British credit themselves with the invention of grog, and the Germans - mulled wine (burning wine in translation), these drinks were invented much earlier (thousands of years) by nomadic Arabs and they called it “punch”.

In their way, in Arabic, this means the number 5. Specifically, 5 indispensable ingredients are included in traditional punch recipes. By the way, the main ingredient is water, and then only wine, rum, sweet molasses and spices. Punch is drunk both hot (when it’s cold) and chilled. But this is not about him.

The difference between 3 drinks in 3 lines:

The punch contains both wine and the strongest alcohol - rum (most often), vodka or cognac.
Mulled wine is based only on wine with sugar and spices, and then gets very hot or even set on fire - hence the name “burning wine”.
And there is absolutely no wine in grog - it is a hot cocktail based on strong alcohol, and all types that are available are consumed. In other words, you can immediately mix rum, vodka, and cognac into grog. And the main thing, as in one famous Jewish joke, is not to skimp on the ingredients!

Origin story

Grog in its current form was actually invented by English sailors, somewhere in the middle of the 18th century. Swimming in the cool northern waters, they adopted the recipe for the familiar punch.

But since there was no wine in the holds, but only strong rum and various vodkas and cognacs, then, without much fuss, they added water to them, generously sprinkled everything with sugar and spices, and brought them almost to a boil - well, to warm up.

Grog turned out to be so effective for the health and morale of sailors that in the early 19th century it was included in the daily diet of the English fleet for the period from October to May, and in the summer - if the temperature overboard dropped to +12 degrees. By the way, this drink was abolished for dinner on any evening only in 1970.

The naval authorities saw that with the constant use of grog, the sailors began to get sick much less, and scurvy practically disappeared. They figured that it was more profitable to load a couple of barrels of strong alcohol, a barrel of honey, a bag of sugar and spices than centners of vegetables that quickly rot. Well, sailors liked this drink more than boiled cabbage.

The official version of the origin of grog sounds like this: once Admiral Edward Vernon, nicknamed Old Grog (because of the grogram cloak, which he never took off), checked the ships and saw that all the sailors were very intoxicated.

At that time, everyone was given 240 ml of untainted 80 proof rum per day. He gave the order to secretly dilute the rum with tea, and so that it was not felt, add spices to the drink and heat it up.

Composition of grog

Traditional grog, in British pubs it goes as Grog No. 1, is a drink with a strength of 15 to 20 degrees, which contains rum, water, sugar, lemon juice and some spices: ginger, mint, cloves and cinnamon. The type of drink depends on the brand of rum and the proportion of ingredients, as well as the order in which they are mixed.

I have selected for you, friends, 10 recipes for the most recognizable grogs, which you can prepare for yourself, if you have the right ingredients. By the way, grogs, like mulled wine, are a rather precious pleasure in European bars, 2-4 times more expensive than alcoholic cocktails. Apparently, they also charge a lot of money for heating.

Crafting Recipes

Grog Number One (No. 1)

Pour 50 ml of water, 50 ml of any dark rum into a small wide saucepan (the British take Purser, Bacardi will do), 1 tsp. honey, 1 tsp. coffee sugar (snow white will also do), 2 pinches or sticks of cinnamon, 2 clove buds. Heat everything while stirring until the sugar dissolves (up to 70 degrees), pour into a porcelain cup and enjoy.

Honey grog with Bee Gees cognac

This is the favorite recipe of the members of the mega popular trio Bee Gees, who came up with the recipe. A glass with thick walls needs to be heated, add 10 g (half a teaspoon) of sweet powder, pour in 75 ml of good cognac and 100 ml of boiling water. Throw in a lemon slice 1 cm wide and serve.

Grog Fantasy

Heat the glass, add 2 tsp. sweet powder, add 75 ml of rum, add 120 ml of boiling water. Place a teaspoon with a lump of sugar on top, pour in a full amount of cognac and set it on fire. Serve as is. Before drinking, place a spoon in a glass and stir.

Grog Lady Fantasy

The second title - Queen Elizabeth - is connected with the fact that on Sundays, after visiting church, the Queen gathered her friends and guests to treat them to grog made with her own hands. It is unclear whether this tradition is alive at the moment. And the grog is very tasty and spicy.

Pour 10 g of sweet powder into a hot glass, add a circle of lime or lemon, pour in 60 ml of cognac, 20 ml of Baileys liqueur, pour in 100 ml of boiling water. Similar to the previous one - set fire to the sugar on a spoon and wait until it melts.

Fisherman's grog

Prepare dark tea by brewing 6 tsp. leaves and 500 ml boiling water. Strain through a fine sieve, add juice and zest from half a lemon and 2 tbsp. honey Pour in 125 ml of rum and cognac. Serve immediately.

Milk grog in Russian

Pour 100 ml of hot milk into a heated tea cup, add 50 ml of skate, 20 ml of rum and Old Arbat liqueur. There is no need to add sugar - the liqueur is sweet.

Brandy-Grog

To 100 ml of hot strong tea, add 1 sugar cube (or teaspoon), 1 slice of lemon and pour in 60 ml of brandy.

Grog No. 2 or Jamaican

Take a warm 300 ml beer mug. Pour in 60 ml of strong Jamaican rum, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 tbsp. l. lemon juice, half tsp. sugar and 2 clove buds. Pour boiling water over all this almost to the edge, garnish with lemon.

Coffee-Grog

You need to take a huge coffee cup (Irish), prepare 120 ml of strong dark coffee with 1 tsp. sugar, add 60 ml dark rum and 30 ml brandy. Grease the edges of the cup with lemon juice and decorate with a twist.

German grog Hot Heinrich

In a saucepan, heat 125 ml of water with 125 ml of honey, stirring until it dissolves. In advance you need to crush 6 peas of dark and aromatic pepper, cloves, half a nutmeg and a vanilla pod (you can take a lot of extract from a bag).

Pour everything into the honey mixture, add the zest of half a lemon and heat to 70 degrees. Then pour in 250 ml of vodka (2nd option - Jägermaster herbal tincture). Close and wrap for 5 minutes. Later strain and serve.

conclusions

In short, I figured out that you can mix whatever you want into grog - it will be tasty, spicy and intoxicating. The main point is that the highest heating temperature is 70 degrees, otherwise the drink will taste very alcoholic.

After consulting with my family (in other words, my wife), I decided to try cooking German Roast Heinrich for Saturday. Friends will come to visit - you need to surprise them with something. I will, like the British Queen, conjure grog. I'll write about the results.

And for now, a fiery hot hello to everyone! Make some grog for yourself and be healthy!

English grog
An alcoholic drink based on rum or cognac, diluted with hot water with the addition of sugar, lime or lemon juice, and spices: cinnamon, vanillin, coriander, nutmeg and others.

Grog is truly a sea drink. It was first used in the 18th century. after the order of Admiral Edward Vernon to dilute rum with water due to the excessive hobby of sailors for it.

Alcohol began to negatively affect their health and stamina. At that time, rum was consumed on long voyages as an antiseptic against cholera, dysentery and other digestive diseases. This was a forced measure, because... Water supplies on ships, especially in hot weather, quickly deteriorated and rotted. The drink got its name from the British spelling of a faille cloak (grogram cloak), the admiral's favorite garment in bad weather.

To make the drink tasty and fragrant, there are several subtleties of its preparation:

It is better to mix and heat all ingredients in a water bath;
alcohol should be poured into the hot infusion at the end without further boiling;
to prevent spices from getting into the glass, the finished grog should be strained through cheesecloth;
the finished drink must steep for 15 minutes before serving;
The temperature of the drink must be at least 70°C, because when cool, it becomes more tea-like.

Currently, there are dozens of recipes for making grog, in which, in addition to or instead of the main ones, a variety of ingredients are used: green tea, rooibos, mate, liqueur, vodka, wine, citrus zest, ginger, freshly squeezed fruit juices, uzvar, coffee, eggs, cream, milk or butter.

The usefulness of grog

Due to the strong alcohol it contains, the drink has excellent disinfecting, warming and restorative properties. It is used to warm up during hypothermia, frostbite of the face and limbs, which also occurs with all this loss of strength. The drink will lead to the normal process of blood circulation (Blood circulation is an important factor in the life of the human body and a number of animals) and breathing. In case of the most severe manifestations of hypothermia (drowsiness (excessive sleep duration) , lethargy, loss of consciousness and loss of coordination), the drink should be accompanied by a bath, but with a water temperature no higher than 25°C. Very hot water can lead to a rapid blood clot (the internal environment of the human and animal body) from the limbs to the heart, which can ultimately lead to death.

At the first sign of flu or cold, taking 200 ml of grog will relieve swelling (excessive accumulation of fluid in the organs) of the nasopharynx, lower the temperature and calm the cough. The drink perfectly increases the body's protective functions, namely against infectious and viral diseases.

Grog has a huge number of necessary parameters inherent in rum. It is able to heal small wounds and ulcers formed on the mucous membranes of the mouth and larynx, and have a positive effect on the nervous and cardiovascular systems. The drink has a relaxing and calming effect on these systems.

Harm of grog and contraindications

The drink is not recommended for people with kidney and liver diseases, as well as people undergoing rehabilitation treatment (a process for alleviating, relieving or eliminating symptoms and diseases) from alcoholism.

Also, pregnant women, nursing mothers and children under 18 years of age should not drink the traditional drink. For this group of people, it is better to prepare a non-alcoholic version of the drink.

Grog is an ancient hot drink of brave sailors . It arose in the 18th century. English laws of those times prescribed that any sailor on a voyage should be given one mug of rum per day. Everything would be fine, but the cheerful feasts of the sailors often turned into drunken brawls that infuriated the captains. One of these dissatisfied people, Admiral Edward Vernon, nicknamed Old Grog, ordered that the sailors of his own ship be given rum diluted with water and lemon. Returning to their homeland, the sailors heard about the admiral’s lawlessness in the taverns and, grinning, added that the mash from Old Grog entertained and warmed them on a long voyage no worse than the rum itself. Innkeepers quickly realized the benefits that could be gained by serving such a drink to guests, and soon grog became fashionable throughout Great Britain .

At the moment, grog is prepared according to the “three to one” principle: this means that you need to mix three parts of water ( tea or juice), one part of strong rum (in some recipes - cognac or brandy), add the juice of a quarter of a lemon and sugar.

Fragrant grog with sea buckthorn, honey and cinnamon will give warmth in cool weather and will warm you up perfectly.

Just

Recipe from the winter bar menu of the craft burger bar “Lucky Luciano”.

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A mix of mint or lemon balm with lime is a very necessary drink, just needed after a fatty meal. .

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Now we'll drink grog. Because it's winter. And grog is a seasonal drink. And he doesn’t drink for the sake of it.

Just

Grog: the best warming cocktail recipes

As the cold weather sets in, it’s time for warming drinks. Some people like to sit with a cup of fragrant tea or hot chocolate, while others prefer the strongest strong drink. We have already told you about mulled wine and punch, and now we would like to share recipes for delicious grog that can be prepared at home.

Little history of grog

If punch does not have the exact properties of what it should be, then grog is a completely defined drink. In modern understanding, grog is a hot alcoholic cocktail consisting of rum and freshly brewed tea. But this was not always the case. The drink was invented by the British Navy in the 18th century. During long voyages, sailors suffered greatly from the lack of fresh drinking water, as well as scurvy. The sweet industry of the British colonies was already well developed and supplied the fleet with strong rum. Sailors began to disinfect the water with rum, which solved the problem of transporting fresh water. So in the navy, an indispensable portion of 80 proof rum appeared in the daily diet.

But sailors sometimes abused this drink greatly, which destroyed discipline on the ship. To resolve the current situation, the English admiral Edward Vernon began to issue rum already diluted with water. Because in those days rum was not of the highest quality, it was very difficult to drink it in a diluted form. To mask the nasty smell, the sailors came up with the idea of adding tea to the rum, so the drink had to be heated. Lemon, spices and sugar were also added to this “cocktail”. Sailors quickly saw that such a drink strengthens the immune system and fights scurvy. This is how grog arose, which received its name in honor of the nickname of this admiral - “Old Grog”. The sailors dubbed Vernon this way because of his vile disposition and habit of wearing a grogram cloak.

Traditional grog recipe

Golden or black rum – 40 ml;
Freshly brewed tea – 1 glass;
Sweet syrup or sugar - 2 teaspoons;
Slices of orange and lemon.

Grog, like other hot cocktails, is usually served in glass glasses with a handle. Otherwise they are called “irish”. Pour tea into a glass, filling it ¾ full, add rum, sugar and a slice of orange and lemon. Let it brew for 3-5 minutes so that the citrus essential oils open and serve to guests. The best serving temperature is about 70 degrees. At the highest temperature, the rum will begin to give off a not very pleasant alcoholic smell, and at a low temperature it will quickly cool down. The most convenient way to drink this cocktail is through a straw.

How to diversify your grog recipe

The traditional recipe is the basics. If you want to create your own recipe, experiment with flavors.

Strong alcohol . Instead of rum, you can add any strong alcohol that has a strong character. Cognac, whiskey or brandy are suitable this way. You can add vodka, but it will only give strength and will not improve the taste.

Tea. It is not important to drink only traditional British dark tea. You can take tea with flavors and additives. So, earl gray or tea with bergamot looks unsurpassed in grog. You can also brew fruit tea: apple, sea buckthorn or pear. Choose your own favorite taste.

Sweet syrup . It is not necessary to put just sugar in the glass. You can add syrup flavored with strawberry, cherry, peach, mint, blackberry, pistachio, bird cherry, wild berries or lemon (grenadine).

Spices. If you want a more spicy drink, add cloves, ginger, cinnamon or nutmeg to the water while brewing tea. But remember that rum is only added to a drink that has cooled to 70 degrees.

How to make non-alcoholic grog

If you want to make grog without alcohol, simply remove it from the recipe. Roughly speaking, drink tea with spices. The whole highlight of grog is the strong alcohol. If there is no alcohol in it, then it is no longer grog, but something else. The same story applies to the recipe for grog made from wine - this is mulled wine or punch, but not grog. It's simple.

Russian grog recipe

From time to time this cocktail can be found with the names “milk grog” or “Russian punch”. Milk is used as a base instead of tea. So, what we will need:

Black rum - 20 ml;
Cognac – 20 ml;
Milk – 100 ml;
Water – 50 ml;
Honey – 1 teaspoon;
Cinnamon and nutmeg to taste.

Dissolve honey in hot water until completely dissolved. Heat the milk to 70 degrees and whip it into foam using a “cappuccino maker” in a coffee machine or with a whisk. Pour honey water, rum, cognac into Irish, and then milk foam. Sprinkle spices on top.

Egg grog recipe

Another extraordinary hot cocktail with rum. The recipe uses only the yolk of the egg, because the white will coagulate in a hot drink. If you don't want to throw away the egg whites, use them to make gingerbread icing. This will give you a true Christmas get-together.

Black rum – 80 ml;
Egg yolk – 1 pc.;
Freshly brewed dark tea – 250 ml;
Honey – 1 teaspoon;
Lemon - a couple of slices;
Almond syrup – 1 teaspoon;
Cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla sugar - to taste.

Pour tea into a saucepan, add cinnamon, nutmeg and lemon. Bring everything to a boil and leave on the stove for a couple of minutes so that the essential oils release their own scent. Then add honey and stir it. In a separate bowl, beat the yolk with vanilla sugar until foamy and pour it into a saucepan with the rest of the ingredients. Be sure to bring the mixture to a boil. Pour the finished grog into glasses for hot drinks, discarding pieces of lemon along the way, add almond syrup and rum. The top of the cocktail can be decorated with whipped cream or almond petals.

Coffee grog recipe

If coffee is more your speed than tea, try this cocktail recipe:

Black rum – 40 ml;
Espresso – 70 ml;
Water – 50 ml;
Condensed milk – 3 teaspoons;
Anise stars (star anise) – 1 pc.

Pour water into a saucepan and add star anise. Boil it briefly over low heat to release the spicy aromas. Brew strong coffee in a Turkish coffee pot or coffee machine and first add water without star anise, and then condensed milk and rum. Pour into glasses and garnish with star anise on top.

Treat yourself and your loved ones and be sure to prepare grog according to our recipes. This is not a strong cocktail (from 7% to 15%), but very tasty, fragrant and warming. And in a pleasant company, such a drink will warm not only the body, but also the soul.