Trader Vic's Navy Grog

Eureka! I believe that I have very closely reproduced Trader Vic's Navy Grog without using the Trader Vic's Navy Grog Mix, which much like the commercially available Mai Tai mix is nothing like the restaurant Mai Tai. I had to make my own syrup to do it, but this works very well and tastes a whole lot like a Navy Grog at Trader Vic's.

So this recipe goes on my own personal bar menu along with the Cannibal, Suffering Bastard and the Purple Jade.

A hint: The Ancient Mariner in the Grog Log is pretty close but this recipe uses Navy rums instead and the syrup (but a larger amount) in place of the Pimento Liqueur.

So what's the deal? Cough 'em up!

Yeah . . . c'mon . . . spill the beans - I mean Grog!

I had to make a syrup. I made the syrup myself, not really expecting much of a result but it actually came out better then I expected on the first try. I think I got the syrup a little weak, so the next time I try I will use more sugar and boil the spices a little longer.

The syrup is the secret. It is what makes this work. I won't go into the history of this, but suffice it to say I have been trying to reproduce the TV Navy Grog for some time. It was getting my hands on some pimento liqueuer and making an Ancient Mariner that gave me the idea.

Making the syrup.

the syrup is not perfected yet, but the first try came out pretty good so here is what I did:

I went to the Mexican section of the supermarket where there are pre-packaged spices. I got one package of cinnamon sticks and two of dried allspice berries. If your local supermarket doesn't have a Mexican section, improvise. There are like 5 or 6 cinnamon sticks in a package, and I don't know hoe many allspice berries in a package but I used two of them. Be sure you get the ALLSPICE Pimento and not the black peppercorn pimento 'cause they call them both pimentos.

Using my ice crusher hammer, I busted up the cinnamon up so the the sticks cracked and split but did not pulverize. I did the same to crack but not pulverize the allspice. I put the spices in a pot with a single vanilla bean, sliced lengthwise with a knife but not cut in half. I filled the pot with water and put it on the stove to boil. When it started boiling, I reduced the heat to low and let it simmer like that for about 1/2 hour, stirring occasionally. I figured it was done when the water durned to a tea color and tasted spicy.

I turned off the heat and filtered the "tea" to get just the liquid and discarded the solids. Then I put the liquid into a clean pot and brought it back to a boil. When it strted boiling I again reduced the heat to the lowest setting and let it settle down so that it was not visibly bubbling. Then I added the sugar. I had about 6 cups of liquid and I ended up adding about 4 cups of sugar a half cup at a time and stirring until the sugar completely dissolved. I think I should have used an equal amount of sugar, that is, 6 cups rather than 4 but it seemed sweet enough to me. What didn't work after was the viscosity. It was still a little too fluid once it had cooled.

When all the sugar had dissolved and the liquid had cooled a bit, I bottled the syrup and let it cool overnight. The next day I tried mixing drinks. Here is the recipe that seemed to work best.

• 1 1/4 oz Fresh Squeezed Lime (took 2 limes - see the thread on limes)
• 1/2 oz Grapefruit juice
• 1 1/4 oz syrup
• 2 oz Pusser's Navy Rum (blue label)
• 1 oz Cruzan Black Strap Rum

Put all the ingredients except the black strap into a shaker with crushed ice. Shake and pour into a double old fashioned glass. Top with the black strap rum. Add lime shell and mint sprig. I don't have the rock candy stick. The syrup is sweet enough that it probably is not needed.

This is a work in progress, but so far this recipe works pretty well and tastes pretty darn close to a Trader Vic's Navy Grog. I am going to call it Pirate Grog, and the recipe may change as I play with the combinations some more and maybe make my second batch of syrup.

Awesome, thanks for posting the recipe! I might try making some--there's lots of recipes in the old Trader Vic's books that call for Navy Grog Mix that might be out of this world with your homemade stuff. Regarding the viscosity, how about using some honey? Maybe that would do the trick (plus it's a nod to the original Navy Grog recipe.)

By the way, there is a recipe for Pimento Liqueur on the website Cocktail Chronicles. Go to http://www.cocktailchronicles.com/index.php?s=pimento+liqueur and scroll way down to the bottom of the page. I'm making some right now--tonight I will be able to add the sugar syrup and in another month or so I'll be able to try it. I have some of he bottled stuff on hand so I will be able to do a side by side comparison. Patience...

At the Atlanta Trader Vic's they will sell you the concentrate the use. The stuff marked not for resale. If you can get that, it's the bomb. 2 ounces of dark run, a splash of sugar syrup and a splash of grapefruit juice.

They won't sell just anyone the mix at Vics.
You gotta be a 23 skidoo hep cat like Swanky.
Or tip good like me.

THEN the elixir is proffered.
(I got some last night as a matter of fact.)

Huzzah for Joel!!

When's the second batch due?

After the first batch is gone, which is probably going to be a while.

Next Batch: Less Cinnamon, more sugar.

OK, I've tried a few of the Navy Grog recipes here, and I'm even making some homemade Pimento Dram. BUT, in the meantime, I have a possible substitute ingredient that seems to have a lot of the allspice/cinnamon/herbal character we're looking for. It's called Herrljunga Glogg, and it's available (at least some of the time) through IKEA, of all places. (It might just be in the stores, not online.) Just a splash of this stuff in the shaker brings a certain spiciness to the Navy Grog that is otherwise missing. Try it and see what you think!

David

Im not surprised you find Herrljunga Glogg in Ikea as both the Glogg and the Ikea is Swedish. The Glogg is something that is drunk here over Christmas and yes it contains a lot of spices.(cardamom. ginger and allspice)It comes in many different flavors and each year there is a new flavor out only for that year. I never thought about that it could be used in tiki drinks....I can find this Glogg just a few steps away from home.. But only during Christmas so next Christmas ill have to start experimenting.. :D

Which one of the Herrljunga Glogg did you get? if its the original Glogg the recipe is the same since 1930.

[ Edited by: Little fragrant Tiare 2008-02-03 12:03 ]

[ Edited by: Little fragrant Tiare 2008-02-03 12:27 ]

What is the overall opinion of the Grog Log recipe for Navy Grog? Or how about TV's normal Navy Grog syrup?

The Navy Grog recipe in the Grog Log is for Don the Beachcomber's Navy Grog. The one we are discussing here is Trader Vic's. The recipes were somewhat different. Don used ground spices in his, which I think included nutmeg (although the Grog Log recipe does not list that but I remember them being in the drink). Vic used the Pimento liqueur, or a variation on it when it became unavailable. Vic also did not use the honey as a sweetener.

Got a copy of TV's "Pacific Island Cookbook" for Christmas. There's a recipe for "Trader Vic's Grog" But it has no Pimento Liqueur, just Lemon juice, Pineapple juice, Passionfruit Nectar, rum & bitters. Haven't made this one, yet - but I'm assuming this is NOT the "Trader Vic's Navy Grog" that's being didcussed here? I enjoy the Grog Log Don Beach recipe, but I like to add 1/2 oz homemade pimento liqueur and a dash of bitters. Yummy!

"Trader Vic's Grog" and Trader Vic's Navy Grog are different drinks. Both are on the current Trader Vic's cocktail menus. I have had the Trader Vic's Grog before and to the best of my recollection I enjoyed it. But the TV Navy Grog is one of my favorites and I prefer it to the Don the Beachcomber version.

They have glogg at Ikea right now. I picked up a couple bottles yesterday.

Paul,
any updates on yer Navy Grog taste tests?

Jeff(bigtikidude)

I recently read this thread and went to the Atlanta Trader Vic's for one of Joel's version. Basically it consists of

~lime juice
~grapefruit juice (just a taste, a dash, didn't look like a 1/4oz)
~rock candy syrup
~a great deal of all dark rums, at least 3oz, not 2
~the TV grog mixture in a bottle

He gave me a chance to sniff the bottle - the overwhelming scent is of cinnamon. So strong that you'd think you could taste it more in the drink. There were also hints of other spices in there. Now the menu lists the taste of pimento as part of the drink, so that's another part.

This drink is really much better than the ones I've made at home with the other Navy Grog recipe - a lot stronger too.

Hi,

I managed to get the actual recipe of Trader Vic's Navy Grog from the bartender! I won't tell you which location, I don't want the good man to loose his job.

TRADER VIC'S NAVY GROG

2 oz Meyer's Dark Rum
2 oz Pineapple Juice
1 oz Passion Fruit Syrup
1 oz Lemon Juice
dash of bitters

I made it at home a few times, tastes pretty good to me. Cheers!

I think that is actually Trader Vic's Grog, which is a different drink altogether from Trader Vic's Navy Grog.

No Pimento, not Navy Grog, for my taste.

On 2009-10-26 16:00, PiPhiRho wrote:
I think that is actually Trader Vic's Grog, which is a different drink altogether from Trader Vic's Navy Grog.

Yes, that's the Trader Vic's Grog, not the Navy Grog. And I don't think the TV's Grog recipe is much of a secret so I'm fairly certain your bartender doesn't have anything to worry about.

I am in the process of making this syrup as TV's Navy Grog has become my new favorite drink just behind the Mai Tai.

I am actually using the recipe found here, http://5minutesofrum.com/blog/2014/4/10/spice-syrup which also appears to be basically the same as that on here, http://fraternalorderofmoai.org/huimalu/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=15623&start=25

So as I am assembling this, the Grog Mix really seems to be a mixture of Cinnamon Syrup, Pimento Dram with a little hit of Falernum.

Anybody try replicating the Trader Vic's Navy Grog using these three components individually?

I don't taste much cinnamon in that mix; imho you can replicate that flavor pretty well with just pimento dram & possibly ango bitters. There is a sweet element to the syrup, but you can get that from the sugar or honey you use in the cocktail. Just my opinion.

I don't know, there is something about that mix that is complex. Amazingly, in this recipe, once made, you can't taste the cinnamon like you can in my cinnamon syrup. Both have the same amount of cinnamon. I think the cloves and all spice really tame the cinnamon.

I am working on the recipe and getting close.

1.5 oz Syrup
1 oz Lime
1/2 oz Grapefruit
1 oz Flor De Cana Gold 4yr
1 oz Appleton VX
1 oz Hamilton Guyana 86 proof

I am gonna have to stop by TV ATL on my way home from work to beat the traffic and get another taste.

[ Edited by: mmaurice 2015-08-04 20:49 ]