Simple. Classic. Shockingly delicious.
Ingredients:
- 2 oz aged rum (Jamaican or Navy-style works beautifully)
- ¾ oz fresh lime juice (no bottled horrors, please)
- ½ oz demerara syrup (or honey, or brown sugar dissolved in hot water)
- 4 oz hot water
- Optional: dash of bitters or a grating of nutmeg, because we’re fancy now
Method:
- Add the rum, lime juice, and syrup to a heatproof mug or sturdy glass.
- Pour in hot (not boiling) water and stir to combine.
- Garnish with a lime wheel or a cinnamon stick, if you’re feeling ceremonial.
- Take a sip, feel the warmth, and contemplate deserting everything for a life at sea.
Variations for the Brave (or Bored)
- Navy-Strength Grog: Use overproof rum (57% ABV or higher), reduce water by half, and notify next of kin.
- Spiced Grog: Add a splash of falernum or a few cloves for tiki vibes.
- Cold Grog: Serve over crushed ice with mint if you live somewhere far too warm for authenticity.
Final Toast
Grog started as a compromise between health and hooliganism—a way to keep sailors hydrated, slightly sober, and mildly afraid of their commanding officer. Today, it’s a brilliant way to rediscover rum in its most elemental form: hot, tart, sweet, and just unruly enough to make things interesting.
So the next time you need a winter warmer or want to impress your nerdy cocktail friends, bust out this historic gem. Just don’t call it a “hot rum toddy”—that’s treasonous.
👉 Want to sip more history? Try this reimagined Planter’s Punch or read about how rum became the drink of the Revolution.
The Rumosphere 