Grog

From WikiPOBia

The daily grog ration was of highest importance to the sailors under Jack Aubrey's command. It was stopped as a punishment for lesser crimes or rewarded for services rendered above the call of duty. To Dr. Maturin's dismay it was an immemorial custom of the service until 1970 in the Royal Navy.

Contents 1 History 2 Mixing grog 3 Modern grog recipe 4 References

History

As the Royal Navy began exploring more of the oceans the issue of liquid for drinking became more and more an issue. Most ships carried casks of beer and water in the 1650's, with the sailors' daily beer ration approximately a gallon each. Longer voyages required more and more space to stow beer and water that tended to spoil quickly as algae grew in the casks. To make the water taste better, sailors would often mix their beer and water rations together.

The capture of Jamaica by Vice-Admiral William Penn, in 1655 also led to the availability of rum and in 1731 a half pint of undiluted rum was considered equal to the gallon ration of beer for sailors at sea in the West Indies only, though regulations were later changed to allow the rum ration to all ships.

Credit for the invention of grog itself is given to Vice-Admiral Edward Vernon, who felt the undisciplined and drunken nature of his crew was the direct result of the rum ration. In August of 1740, he ordered the rum to be mixed with water on deck in the presence of the lieutenant of the watch; a little sugar was added to make the mixture more palatable. Later to counter the affects of scurvy on the crews, lime or lemon juice was also added to the mixture.

Mixing grog

Admiral Vernon's mixture was a simple one of a quart of water to a half pint of rum, a four to one ratio. Some admirals mixed a three to one ratio and Admiral Keith issued grog in a five to one ratio.

Modern grog recipe

1 shot rum

1 teaspoon sugar (preferably superfine)

Squeeze of lime juice

Cinnamon stick

Boiling water

Stir all ingredients, adding enough boiling water to fill mug or glass.

References

• A short history of grog Retrieved July 8, 2005.
• Wikipedia:Grog Retrieved July 8, 2005.