Grog
Grog is an alcoholic beverage made with water and rum. It was introduced into the Royal Navy by British Vice Admiral Edward Vernon on 21 August, 1740. Modern versions of the drink sometimes include lemon juice, lime juice, cinnamon or sugar to improve the taste. Rum with water, sugar and nutmeg was known as Bumboo and was more popular with pirates and merchantmen.
Origin and history
Man discovered long ago that he could not drink sea water and required significant quantities of fresh water on extended voyages. Unable to desalinate the sea water, water was taken on board in casks but quickly developed algae and became slimy. Stagnant water was sweetened with beer or wine to make it palatable which involved more casks and subject to spoilage. As longer voyages became more common, the task of stowage became more and more difficult and the sailors' then daily ration of a gallon of beer began to add up.
Following Britain's conquest of Jamaica in 1655, a half pint or "2 gills" of rum gradually replaced beer and brandy as the drink of choice. Given to the sailor straight, this caused additional problems, as some sailors would save up the rum rations for several days, then drink them all at once. Due to the subsequent illness and disciplinary problems, the rum was mixed with water. This both diluted its effects, and would make it spoil faster. A half pint of rum mixed with one quart of water and issued in two servings before noon and after the end of the working day became part of the official regulations of the Royal Navy in 1756 and lasted for more than two centuries.
When it was determined that daily doses of vitamin C prevented the disease scurvy, citrus juice (usually lime or lemon juice) was added to the recipe.
The sailors named the watered down drink "grog", after its inventor — the Admiral Edward "Old Grog" Vernon, so named for the grogram coat he wore. They claimed the new, officially sanctioned drink was unpleasant and nothing like the rum of old, "as thin as Old Grog's cloak!"
The practice of serving grog twice a day was carried over into the Continental Navy and the U. S. Navy. Robert Smith, then Secretary of the Navy, experimented with substituting native rye whiskey for the imported rum concoction. Finding the American sailors preferred it, he made the change permanent. It is said his sailors followed the practice of their British antecedents and took to calling it "Bob Smith" instead of grog.
Although the American Navy ended the rum ration on September 1, 1862, the ration continued in the Royal Navy. The temperance movements of the late 19th century began to change the attitude toward drink and the days of grog slowly came to an end. On January 28, 1970 the "Great Rum Debate" took place in the House of Commons, and on July 30, 1970 the last pipe of "Up Spirits" in the Royal Navy was heard and is referred today as "Black Tot Day"
Until the grog ration was discontinued in 1970, Navy rum was 95.5 proof, or 47.75% alcohol; the usual ration was an eighth of a pint, diluted 2:1 with water (3:1 until World War II). Extra rum rations were provided for special celebrations, like Trafalgar Day, and sailors might share their ration with the cook or with a messmate celebrating a birthday.
Over time the distribution of the rum ration became encrusted with elaborate ritual. At 11am the boatswain’s mate piped 'Up spirits,' the signal for the petty officer of the day to climb to the quarterdeck and collect (1) the keys to the spirit room from an officer, (2) the ship's cooper, and (3) a detachment of Royal Marines. In procession, they unlocked the door of the spirit room, and witnessed the pumping into a keg of one eighth pint of rum for every rating and petty officer on the ship aged 20 or more and not under punishment. Two marines lifted the keg to the deck, standing guard while a file of cooks from the petty officers' messes held out their jugs. The sergeant of marines poured the ration under direction of the chief steward, who announced the number of drinking men present in each petty officer's mess. The rest of the rum was mixed in a tub with two parts water, becoming the grog provided to the ratings.
At noon the boatswain's mate piped 'Muster for rum', and the cooks from each mess presented with tin buckets. The sergeant of marines ladled out the authorized number of “tots” (half-pints) supervised by the petty officer of the day. The few tots of grog remaining in the tub ('plushers') were poured into the drains (“scuppers”) visibly running into the sea.
The petty officers were served first, and entitled to take their rum undiluted. The ratings drank their grog in one long gulp when they finished their work around noon.
In Australian popular culture, grog can refer to any alcoholic beverage. In Sweden, it is a common description of drinks not made after a recipe, but simply mixing alcohol with soda, orange juice or similar.
Grog myths and stories
A popular story has been passed around sailing circles and on the internet regarding the consumption of alcohol on board 18th century Naval vessels. While its origins are dubious, it does attest to the love sailors have for their spirits.
- The U.S.S. Constitution, as a combat vessel carried 48,600 gallons of fresh water for her crew of 475 officers and men. This was sufficient to last six months of sustained operations at sea. She carried no evaporators (fresh water distillers). However, let it be noted that according to her log, "On July 27, 1798, the U.S.S. Constitution sailed from Boston with a full complement of 475 officers and men, 48,600 gallons of fresh water, 7,400 cannon shot, 11,600 pounds of black powder and 79,400 gallons of rum."
- Her mission: "To destroy and harass English shipping."
- Making Jamaica on 6 October, she took on 826 pounds of flour and 68,300 gallons of rum. Then she headed for the Azores, arriving there 12 November. She provisioned with 550 pounds of beef and 64,300 gallons of Portuguese wine. On 18 November, she set sail for England. In the ensuing days she defeated five British men-of-war and captured and scuttled 12 English merchantmen, salvaging only the rum aboard each.
- By 26 January, her powder and shot were exhausted. Nevertheless, and though unarmed, she made a night raid up the Firth of Clyde in Scotland. Her landing party captured a whiskey distillery and transferred 40,000 gallons of single malt Scotch aboard by dawn.
- The U.S.S. Constitution arrived in Boston on 20 February 1799, with no cannon shot, no food, no powder, NO rum, NO wine, NO whiskey and 38,600 gallons of stagnant water.
A poem explaining the naming of grog:
"A mighty bowl on deck he drew. And filled it to the brink; Such drank the Burford's gallant crew, And such the gods shall drink, The sacred robe which Vernon wore Was drenched within the same; And hence his virtues guard our shore, And Grog derives its name."
(Thomas Trotter, "Written on board the Berwick," in Notes & Queries, Series 1, 1781)
Grog in games
- Grog is mentioned multiple times as a Pirate's choice of drink in the computer game series, Monkey Island. The Monkey Island version of grog is acidic enough to dissolve a pewter mug and solid metal bars, and is also sold in cans through Coca-Cola-style vending machines. According to the Important-Looking Pirates in the first game, grog contains one or more of the following:
- kerosene
- propylene glycol
- sulphuric acid
- artificial sweeteners
- red dye no2
- rum
- acetone
- battery acid
- scumm
- axle grease
- and/or pepperoni.
- Grog is also the second-most expensive rum commodity in the online game Yohoho! Puzzle Pirates. Swill and Fine Rum are the low-grade and high-grade rum, respectively.
- In the free online game Kingdom of Loathing a grog is a beverage that can be drunk. It is made mixing a lime with a bottle of rum. Grog can subsequently be made into a high-end drink called a "Grogtini".
- In the Internet MUD Ancient Anguish, bottles of grog are available for purchase in the town of Dalair.
- In the game Pirates: Legend of the black kat grog is used to replenish health.
References
- Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase & Fable, Millennium Edition, revised by Adrian Room, 2001
- Constance Lathrop, "Grog," U. S. Naval Institute Proceedings, Mar 1935, pp. 377-380; letter, Robert Smith to Keith Spence, 11 Nov 1808, RG 45 (M209, Vol. 9), DNA
- Tyrone G. Martin, "Bob Smith," Encycopedia of the War of 1812, New York: Garland Publishing Co., 1998
- James Pack, Nelson's Blood: The Story of Naval Rum Naval Institute Press, 1982
- Christopher McKee, Sober Men and True: Sailor Lives in the Royal Navy 1900-45, Harvard, 2003
See also
- List of rum producers
- Pusser's - a brand of rum made according to the traditional recipe of the Royal Navy
- Rum
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