Trader Vic's Navy Grog

ok so on the forums i have found this:

Navy Grog (Trader Vics)

1oz. Martinique Rum (J.Baly, St.James)
1oz. Jamaican Rum (Appleton VX/12yo)
3/4oz. Lime Juice.
1/2oz. Grapefruit Juice.
1/2oz. Sugar Syrup.
1/4oz. Pimento Allspice Dram (Berry Hill, St.Elizabeth)

and also then a syrup recipe and this:

Ingredient List:
2 12oz cans Coca cola , preferably warm (no substitute)

1 thumb sized piece of fresh ginger root (you CANNOT substitute dried ground ginger powder for this, the only acceptable substitute is candied ginger, whole or puree)

12 whole cloves (very important that they be whole and not ground for clarity of the finished product, if you absolutely must use ground cloves, substitute a scant ¼ teaspoon and use a fine sieve with cheesecloth to strain later)

2 Whole Dried Allspice berries (no substitute, you cannot put in little enough of the powder to not dominate the taste)

1 teaspoon Orange Bitters (available from Fee Brothers or put in the peel of one orange)

1 Tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon “sour salt” (this is pure citric acid powder used in canning and pickling, it can often be found near Kosher for Passover products, it allows you to add sour without adding sweet and keeps fruit from darkening due to exposure to air, if unavailable, leave it out and add more lemon or lime juice when making the drink itself)

Traditional Bitters to taste- 1 or 2 dashes (I prefer Fee Brothers to Angostura brand for its more complex flavor)

Instructions:

Open cans of coke and pour into pot or saucepan.
Scrub ginger to remove loose peel segments and slice thinly (dime thickness). Slices can be further divided if they are larger than about dime sized. It is important, however, not to be tempted to dice or shred the ginger too finely since it will break apart some when cooked and make it harder to strain out later.
Add ginger to pan of coke.
Add orange peel (if using) to pan. (If using bitters, it gets added later)
Add cloves to pan.
Add Allspice to pan. (if using)
Allow this to steep at room temp while the coke goes flat. (This keeps it from foaming too much when heated)
Add honey and sour salt (if using) and simmer the contents of the pan for about 30 minutes.
Allow to cool.
Strain out all solids (ginger, peel, cloves)

Add Orange Bitters (if using)
Add Traditional Bitters (if using)
Put into empty clean 750 ml bottle
Add water to make up full volume
Note, some alcohol: grain, vodka or even rum, could also be added as a preservative.

To make one Honolulu Restaurant Style Navy Grog Drink:
1 oz Navy Grog Mix
1 oz bottled reconstituted lemon juice (ReaLemon or equivalent)
1 to 1 ½ oz Pink Grapefruit Juice (to taste)
1 oz Amber Rum
1 oz Light Rum
¼ Lime squeezed and shell left in
Combine all; shake with ice, garnish and serve.

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modification to the previous post

Given that fact, I felt I needed more than just two allspice berries. I added about a tablespoon of ground allspice and a alot of honey because I wasn't going to use any other sweetener in the drink.

This is the closest thing to Tv's Navy Grog after countless attempts. The scret is the compination of the mixture and by using Trader Vic's brand Dark Rum, which seems to be perfumed up and may contain some vanilla, though it is not labeled as a "spiced" or "flavored" rum.

Juice One lime
1 oz navy grog mix
1 oz FRESH grapefruit juice
heavy dashes of bitters

1 oz Trader Vic's Dark Rum (as used in Trader Vic's FOR navy grogs, I've seen 'em do it)
1 oz Demerara Rum
1oz Gold Bacardi

Shake with ice and, pour, then add club soad dash, (even though Trader's never did this.)

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I have made an ancient mariner, and added a dash of club soda...good but not a trader vic's navy grog

I dont have the actual real stuff from trader vic's, however maybe i can purchase some from the bartender next time i go if it is slow...I have everything to make the top reciepe ready to go, I am curious if anyone has tried the top recipe and also making the "mix from scratch" and can tell me if it is worth the time involved considering i have everything from the top reciepe

i figure ill have an answer on the top recipe later tonight if it is good...how much better if at all is that mixture

[ Edited by: Dapuma1 2010-06-05 08:40 ]

The top recipe is pretty close if you add two dashes of club soda