Post #315196 by Chip and Andy on Wed, Jun 27, 2007 4:33 AM

Bumbo is a topic of a different discussion. And if it isn't, maybe it should be. It should generate a lot of discussion considering the fact that our beloved rums all started off as something the workers and slaves made themselves from the scrap and cast-off of a different industry.

But, we are here for the Navy Grog. The origins of the name and how it came to be are better described by Beachbum Berry and Ed Hamilton.

Back to the ingredients..... Did everyone complete their homework?

Grapefruit

Let me start this ingredient by saying I am not a doctor, but I do play on on TV occasionally....

Many of you are on medications that limit or prohibit grapefruit in your diet. For those of you on cholesterol medication the reason you can't do grapefruit is because it inhibits the absorption of the medication into your system. Well, grapefruit is traditionally a breakfast food or drink and most medications of this nature are taken in the morning. Vis-a-vie eating or drinking grapefruit for breakfast would make taking your medications useless therefore this much maligned fruit is verboten.

Now, since most cocktails are taken in the evening hours far, far away from breakfast (no laughing even though it is happy hour somewhere in the world) having one or two cocktails with grapefruit juice in them is probably not going to kill you. Probably. Two Navy Grog's and you are only taking in an ounce and a half of grapefruit juice which is one quarter of a 'typical' serving of six ounces.

Long story short, if you 'occasionally' enjoy yourself a Navy Grog or two you probably won't have any issues with whatever medications you are taking. If you are unsure of just how much or why you can't have grapefruit, consult a doctor or two and see what they say. And you don't necessarily have to tell the doctor that you are surrounding that grapefruit with a protective layer of rum.

So, the ingredient!

Grapefruit

This lovely but much maligned fruit is going to play the role of the 'exotic' component. We already have the lime because we all know that the rum-lime connection is probably one of the best pairings in the world second only to Abbott and Costello. Well, this drink has three full ounces of rum in it and so far we have only added three-quarter ounces of lime. In steps the grapefruit to do two things for our drink: First to help support the lime-rum connection with its citrus component. Second, to provide a unique taste (and aroma) to the drink. When made well, the grapefruit part of this drink is not easily identified and stays somewhat mysteriously on the back of the tongue and keeps you guessing at its presence.

It has been discussed elsewhere about the 'shortage' of white grapefruit this season and the recipe prefers the white variety for its color and lighter overall taste. Pink grapefruit is a bit easier to find and Red grapefruit should be your last option both because of the color and strong taste. But, as we mentioned with the limes, do what you can with what you have.

Fresh is best, always, but not always available. Bottled is pretty good, if you are careful. The one thing I will tell you to absolutely avoid are those tiny little cans of grapefruit juice. They look appealing because of their small size and long shelf life, but for drinks of this nature they are horrible. The biter notes of the juice come out first and really make the final pour a misery to drink.

When looking at bottled options read the ingredients. You want something that is 100% Grapefruit juice. "Duh..." you say. Well, the label may say 100% juice but the ingredient list can include many things like grape or apple juice as filler. And, avoid anything that came from concentrate because it will have been through enough processing to loose much of the exotic taste we are after. Bonus points for anything that claims to be "lightly pasteurized." That is only a marketing gimmick, but it at least shows an interest in the product on the part of the manufacturer.

And now, a few tips for the care and feeding of your larger fruit on the bar:

You need three-quarters of an ounce, but a typical grapefruit will yield eight to ten ounces of juice. Well, the juice stays freshest in the fruit so just cut a wedge out of the fruit (resist the urge to cut it all at once!) and squeeze what you need. If you need more, cut another wedge. When you have acquired the proper amount of juice take a piece of plastic wrap and press into the wedge to completely cover the cut part of the fruit. This will help keep air away from the meat of the fruit and keep it fresher longer.

If you are keeping your fruit in the fridge, pull it out about an hour or so before you need it. You will have to work harder to get the juice from a cold fruit. This goes for all of your citrus fruits.

And finally.... (about time man!)

Discuss. Tell us about your grapefruit. What do you have access to, what does it taste like. Take a bit of grapefruit and a bit of lime and mix them together and see how the flavors are starting to build.