Tiki the Snow Away continues! So far we’re getting mixed results – the foot of snow that fell last week melted away this weekend as temperatures neared the 50’s in Boston, but unfortunately it did not last and we had another snowfall this morning. We are clearly not Tiki-ing hard enough.
While all that snow was falling last week, I was inside with my nose tucked in Smuggler’s Cove, reading about the history of Tiki drinks and the techniques used to make them. I was pretty intrigued when I got to the section about making ice shells and cones. The book indicated that you needed something called “snow ice” for this, and thanks to the blizzard I had plenty of that. I scooped up some freshly-fallen snow and packed it into a champagne flute to make an ice cone. As I learned, this is the traditional garnish for a Navy Grog, and that sounded like a pretty great Tiki drink to try next.
Navy Grog is notoriously strong, containing 1 oz. apiece of three different rums. In fact, its potency is a matter of legal record, as one of the bartenders at Trader Vics in Hollywood testified as to how strong of a drink it was in the trial of Phil Spector, who was accused of murdering actress Lana Clarkson after downing two of them at the bar. So maybe sip yours slowly. Even if the lime, grapefruit, and Allspice Dram make it deceptively drinkable.
History: Navy Grog was invented by Donn Beach, the father of all things Tiki. Containing a pretty hefty amount of rum, it was the “manly” drink on a menu otherwise populated by fruity cocktails with whimsical names. It was made with honey syrup and seltzer, but Trader Vic altered the recipe and replaced these with Allspice Dram and Demerara syrup. Since that sounded a bit tastier to me, I made Vic’s version here. It was Donn, however, who traditionally served his over an ice cone.
Navy Grog was supposedly one of Richard Nixon’s favorite drinks, and he would frequently sneak away to the Trader Vic’s in DC to have a few.
Navy Grog
1 oz. pot still lightly aged overproof rum (Smith & Cross)
1 oz. blended lightly aged rum (Appleton Estate Signature Blend)
1 oz. column still aged rum (lacking this, I used Plantation Dark)
1/4 oz. Allspice Dram
3/4 oz. lime juice
3/4 oz. grapefruit juice
1/4 oz. SC Demerara syrup*
Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake until well chilled. Strain into a double Old Fashioned glass. Garnish with a sprig of mint and an ice cone** or a stick of rock candy.
*For Smuggler’s Cove’s Demerara syrup, bring 2 parts water to a boil and whisk in 1 part Demerara sugar. Then add 3 parts granulated sugar and stir until dissolved. Let cool before using.
**To make an ice cone, pack finely crushed ice into a champagne flute or pilsner glass. Use a chopstick to make a hole through the center of the cone. Let it freeze for at least 24 hours. Set it out at room temperature for a few minutes before removing it from the glass. You can run the glass under hot water if necessary. Alternatively, you can buy a mold for just this purpose!
Recipe adapted from Smuggler’s Cove, which is adapted from Trader Vic’s.