Cocktail #4: Navy Grog

One of the things that's so much fun about exotic cocktails is the garnishes and other odd flourishes that are often used in them. The navy grog was invented by Don the Beachcomber and it incorporates a flourish not often seen in other drinks: the ice cone. The idea is to sip the drink through a cone of shaved ice which is partially submerged in the drink, with a straw running through the center of the cone. Jeff Berry actually sells a navy grog ice cone kit for $17.95, but not wanting the spend the cash on what would probably be a rarely used accessory, I decided I would try to make my own.

Berry has instructions for making your own in his book, the Grog Log. They are as follows:

To prepare cone, pack 10 oz. pilsner glass with finely shaved ice. Run a hole through the center with a chopstick to make passage for a straw. Gently remove cone from glass and freeze overnight.

I attempted this a couple of times. After a failed attempt, the second time I used parchment paper to make the cone inside the pilsner glass, both to enable me to make it a bit smaller (my glasses are more than 10 oz.) and because I thought it would be easier to pack and then to remove and use. Apparently I did not pack the ice densely enough, because when I added the cocktail to my glass containing the ice cone, it immediately melted away and lost its shape. So, no ice cone. Perhaps if I had run a bit of water over the shaved ice while it was still in the freezer, it would have created almost an ice shell that would have sealed the shaved ice bits better. Anyway, you can definitely still enjoy a navy grog with no ice cone. Here's what you need:

0.75 oz. lime juice
0.75 oz. grapefruit juice
0.75 oz. honey (I used honey simple syrup)
1.00 oz. light Puerto Rican rum (I used Virgin Islands Cruzan rum)
1.00 oz. dark Jamaican rum (I used Myers's)
1.00 oz. Demerara rum (I used Hamilton)
1.00 oz. chilled club soda

Put the juices and honey syrup into a blender and mix for a few seconds (if using raw honey, heat it until liquid beforehand). Stir in the rums and soda. Pour into a double old fashioned glass filled with crushed ice, or sip drink through ice cone.

I chose to garnish mine with a lime wheel, maraschino cherry, sprig of mint, and drink umbrella.

The drink itself is fairly typical for a tiki drink - a little sour, a little sweet, a nice combination of rums. I don't think my rum palette is refined enough to appreciate the qualities that say, the Demerara rum brings to a cocktail (rum taste test anyone?). So, I still have lots to learn. But it is a perfectly enjoyable cocktail. Making the ice cone work would be great, and it would be an excellent novelty to serve to guests. I'll just have to keep trying, which is a nice problem to have with exotic cocktails.

For your listening pleasure this week, I give you the great album, Hawaii on the Rocks by Georgie Auld and His Hula-Gans. It's a really fun record from the 60s with great versions of some classic Hawaiian standards (Hawaiian War Chant, Lovely Hula Hands, Blue Hawaii, etc.).


Until next week! Cheers!