I made grog on a cold Tuesday when my toes felt like ice cubes. I also made it again on a sticky July night, which sounds wrong, but hang with me. I’ve tried this drink hot, cold, and even as a big batch in a camping mug. Some nights it felt like a hug. One night it nearly burned my face off. Both taught me stuff. If you want the full play-by-play of every flop and fix, I documented the whole adventure right here.
So… what is grog, really?
Simple story. Grog is rum with water, a squeeze of lime, and a little sweet. That’s it. Sailors drank it so the water wouldn’t taste gross. Rum made it better. Lime kept them from getting sick. Today we just want something easy that tastes bold.
If you want to taste how the pros do it first, swing by Venice’s Roosterfish Bar where their house grog nails the perfect lime-to-rum balance.
You can make it hot like a toddy or cold like a porch drink. Both work. One is a sweater. One is a tank top.
My base recipe that actually works
This is the mix that hits for me most nights.
- 2 oz aged rum (I love Appleton Estate 8 for a warm, rich base)
- 3/4 oz fresh lime juice
- 1/2 oz demerara syrup (1:1 sugar to water), or 2 tsp honey
- Hot water to top (about 3–4 oz for hot grog) or cold water/ice for the chilled one
- Tiny pinch of salt (brings the rum forward)
- Optional: 2 dashes Angostura bitters
How I do it, quick:
- Hot grog: Warm a mug with hot water. Dump the water. Add rum, lime, syrup, and a pinch of salt. Top with hot water that’s not boiling. Stir. Sip slow.
- Cold grog: Shake rum, lime, syrup with ice. Strain over fresh ice. Top with a splash of cold water. Two dashes bitters if you like a little spice.
Real notes from my kitchen (and my porch)
- Rum brands I used: Appleton Estate 8 (round, toasty), Plantation Original Dark (sweet and banana-ish), and Smith & Cross (funky and wild). Goslings Black Seal worked too, but the hot version felt heavy.
- Honey vs sugar: Clover honey gave a soft, cozy vibe. Demerara syrup made the drink taste more “bar-ready,” a bit caramel-like. Honey sometimes clumped until I stirred longer, so I set the spoon in the mug for a minute.
- Lime matters: Fresh tastes bright. Bottled lime made it sharp and bitter. I tried it when I was in a rush. Regretted it.
- Water temp: Boiling water made the lime smell dull. I use water just off the boil. Like, I wait 30–45 seconds after the kettle clicks.
- Tools: I used a simple jigger, an old wooden spoon, and a chipped mug I love. When I made the cold version, I used a shaker with three ice cubes, not a ton. That kept the drink from tasting thin.
How it tastes (and feels)
Hot grog feels like a blanket. The rum warms your chest. The lime pokes through, bright and clean. A tiny bit of salt makes the rum taste bigger. With bitters, I get a cinnamon-clove whisper. On a night when my throat felt scratchy, this was perfect. I’m not saying it cured me. But I slept.
And because a hot mug swirling with rum and citrus can look ridiculously photogenic, I tried snapping a few steamy shots to send to my partner. If you’ve ever wanted your drink pics—or any after-hours selfies—to look just as enticing, check out this guide on mastering sexy snaps which walks you through easy lighting tweaks, angle tricks, and confidence tips so your photos hit as hard as the cocktail.
Cold grog is crisp. It’s a snap of lime with a low hum of sugar and rum. On my July porch, I used Plantation Original Dark, and it tasted like banana bread met lemonade—an unexpected combo that reminded me of the fruit-forward punch I discovered when I tested five watermelon cocktail recipes. Sounds odd. It worked.
What I loved
- It’s fast. Like five minutes fast.
- It forgives small mistakes. A smidge more water? Still good.
- It scales. I made a 6-cup thermos for a beach bonfire. Stayed warm. People kept asking, “What is this?” which felt nice.
What bugged me
- Too much water turns it flat fast. You lose the rum notes.
- Smith & Cross in a hot mug? For me, it was a bit loud. My kitchen smelled like overripe fruit. Fun once. Not nightly.
- Pre-squeezed lime in a bottle tasted tinny. I know I said that already. I mean it.
Tweaks I tried and liked
- Black tea hot grog: Half hot water, half strong black tea. I used PG Tips. It added grip and a tiny bite. Great on gray days.
- Ginger kick: A few slices of fresh ginger in the mug before the hot water. Warmer, spicier, cozy.
- Apple twist: Swap half the water for warm, unsweetened apple cider in fall. Use Mount Gay rum. It tastes like a hayride, in a good way—almost as surprising as when I tried a slew of Blue Curaçao cocktails and found out neon drinks could actually taste balanced.
- Bitter edge: Two dashes Angostura in the cold version made it taste more “finished,” like a bar drink.
- Brown sugar rim? I tried it once on a rocks glass. Looked cute. Got sticky. Hard pass for me.
Pair it with what?
- Hot grog with butter cookies. The simple kind from the blue tin. Sweet on sweet. Soft on warm.
- Cold grog with jerk chicken or grilled pineapple. The lime cuts the spice. It’s a little vacation.
If you’re in Ontario plotting a date where you plan to play host—maybe even pick up the entire tab in true “treat-your-partner” fashion—you might appreciate this quick primer on the local sugar-daddy scene offered by this Sugar Daddy Ontario guide which lays out the best sites, safety tips, and etiquette rules so your night feels generous instead of awkward.
Common goofs I made (and fixed)
- I poured boiling water right on the lime. Result: dull citrus. Fix: add water last and let it cool a touch first.
- I forgot the pinch of salt. It tasted fine, but flatter. Tiny salt makes it pop.
- I used too much honey once. The drink felt sticky. Fix: 2 teaspoons max for me.
Should you make it?
Yes. If you like simple drinks that still feel special. If you have rum, a lime, and hot water, you’re basically set. I reach for grog on sick days, storm days, and game nights when I don’t want to fuss with syrups and peels.
My rating: 4.5/5. It’s not flashy. It’s faithful. And it keeps you warm.
Quick recipe recap
- 2 oz aged rum (Appleton 8 if you have it)
- 3/4 oz fresh lime juice
- 1/2 oz demerara syrup or 2 tsp honey
- 3–4 oz hot water (not boiling) or cold water/ice
- Pinch of salt
- Optional: 2 dashes Angostura bitters
Stir in a warm mug for hot grog, or shake and pour over ice for cold. Taste. Adjust sweet or water by a little. Take a sip. You know what? That’s the stuff.