A Ration of Grog
It’s the day after Labor Day in the United States. Summer has unofficially come to an end. Back to the grind. Sometimes we would probably welcome an alcoholic beverage on company time, even a diluted one.
Grog is an invention of the British Royal Navy. At its most basic, it is rum cut with water. But enterprising sailors and rum aficionados can do a little better than that to make it a more palatable drink.
The days of a daily tot of rum for Royal Navy sailors ended some time ago. As someone currently responsible for the safe operation of heavy equipment (up to 80,000 pounds) that has the potential to kill, injure, and maim people in the event of an accident, I can certainly acknowledge that it is understandable why navies eventually chose to end the practice. Still, the decision to end the practice was reported as being decidedly unpopular amongst the enlisted personnel.
Below are links to a couple articles with recipes for making your own grog and links to the Wikipedia articles on grog and the inventor of grog, Admiral Edward Vernon. And if you want to see for yourself how the ending of the Royal Navy tradition of dispensing a daily tot of grog was greeted, click on the link to the Wikipedia article on Black Tot Day.
“What Is Grog And How Do You Make It?”
“Grog Cocktail Recipe”
“Grog” Wikipedia article
“Edward Vernon” Wikipedia article
“Black Tot Day” Wikipedia article
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