Grog

Grog is any of a variety of alcoholic beverages. The word originally referred to a drink made with water and rum, which British Vice Admiral Edward Vernon introduced into the naval squadron he commanded in the West Indies on 21 August 1740. Vernon wore a coat of grogram cloth and was nicknamed Old Grogram or Old Grog. Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, which agrees with this story of the word's origin, states that the word "grog" was first used in this sense in 1770, though other sources cite 1749.

In modern times the term "grog" has had a variety of meanings in a number of different cultures.

Modern versions of the drink are often made with hot or boiling water, and sometimes include lemon juice, lime juice, cinnamon, or sugar to improve the taste. Additionally in the United States, apple cider is sometimes substituted for water.Rum with water, sugar, and nutmeg was known as bumbo and was more popular with pirates and merchantmen. By contrast, in Australia and New Zealand, the word has come to mean any alcoholic drink.

In Sweden and some subcultures within the English-speaking world, grog is a common description of drinks not made to a recipe (in Sweden the mixture is usually between 25%–50% spirit and 50%–75% soft drink), but by mixing various kinds of alcoholic drinks and soda, fruit juice or similar ingredients (in the USA this would be a highball with no defined proportions). The difference between the Swedish definition of grog and long drinks, mixed drinks or punches is the number of ingredients. The number of ingredients in drinks may vary, but grog typically has just one kind of liquor (most commonly vodka or brännvin, cognac or eau de vie) and one kind of a non-alcoholic beverage. Grosshandlargrogg (Wholesaler grogg) refers to a mix of Eau de vie and Trocadero (a caffeinated apple- and orange flavoured soft drink). In some parts of Europe, notably Belgium and France, grog is used for a hot drink, basically made of black tea, lemon juice, honey and a splash of rum. It is a popular winter drink, said to have a medicinal effect when having a cold.

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