Classic cocktail · Guided recipe

Navy Grog

Drier than almost anything else carrying a tiki name: three rums, grapefruit, lime and just 15 ml of honey syrup to hold it together. The sweetness stops where the rum starts, which is why people who say they dislike tiki drinks usually like this one.

Preparation~3 minSome techniqueStrengthStrongabout 22% ABVMethodShaken11 guided stepsIngredients6Short (rocks) glass

Tropical

In the glassWhite rum · Dark rum · Aged rum · Grapefruit juice · Fresh lime juice · +1 more

See exact amounts

Make it with guidanceOne clear action at a time, with timers built in.

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What goes in

Ingredients

An empty clear rocks glass with low straight sides and a heavy base. — Serving glassRocks glass

Set up before you pour

Use a rocks glass.

The low, sturdy bowl suits concentrated drinks and gives one large cube enough width.

Standard size: 300 ml10¼ oz
Ice & serve: Pack it generously with crushed ice.
If you don’t own one: Use a small water tumbler with a heavy base.

Tools to set out

cocktail shaker
strainer (or a small sieve)
jigger or measuring spoon

Compare all glass types

Scale to your short (rocks) glassWe’ll remember this glass size.

White rum30 ml
Dark rum30 ml
Aged rum15 ml
Grapefruit juice22 ml
Fresh lime juice22 ml
Honey syrup15 ml

Start making

From bottle to glass

Method

01
Measure into the shaker
Pour 30 ml white rum into your shaker
- White rum
02
Measure into the shaker
Add 30 ml dark rum
- Dark rum
03
Measure into the shaker
Add 15 ml aged rum
- Aged rum
04
Measure into the shaker
Add 22 ml grapefruit juice
- Grapefruit juice
05
Measure into the shaker
Add 22 ml fresh lime juice
- Fresh lime juice
06
Measure into the shaker
Add 15 ml honey syrup
- Honey syrup
07
Ice the shaker
Fill the shaker with ice
Why it mattersFill it right up — more ice chills faster with less watering down.
08
Seal and shake
Seal and shake hard
Why it mattersCold hands mean it’s working. Shake until the tin frosts over.
09
Ice the glass
Fill your glass with fresh crushed ice
10
Strain cleanly
Strain into your glass
Why it mattersPour through the strainer so the spent shaker ice stays behind.
11
Finish the drink
Finish it — add a sprig of mint
Why it mattersSlap the mint between your palms before planting it — that little hit releases the oils, and the smell is half the drink.

Know your drink

About the Navy Grog

A Daiquiri, minty rum highball and dark rum rocks drink at a sunset terrace bar.

Built to stay dry

Grog began as watered navy rum with citrus, and the tiki version keeps that skeleton while making it drinkable. Only 15 ml of honey syrup goes into 75 ml of rum, a fraction of what most drinks in this family carry, and the grapefruit contributes bitterness rather than fruit. Anyone who finds tiki cocktails cloying should start at this one and work outward.

Common questions

Navy Grog FAQ

Is a single rum enough for this?

Two will do, one will not. The point is a light rum for lift, a dark one for molasses depth, and something aged bridging them. If you are buying once, get a Puerto Rican white and a Jamaican dark, and split the base 45 ml to 30 ml.

Only 15 ml of sweetener goes in. How do I prepare it?

Three parts honey to one part hot water, stirred until it runs off a spoon in a thin stream. Neat honey seizes in a cold shaker and ends up as a lump at the bottom of the glass. Thinned, it keeps a couple of weeks in the fridge.

Why grapefruit rather than pineapple?

Bitterness. Grapefruit brings acid without the sugar pineapple carries, and that is what keeps this drier than everything beside it on a tiki list. Fresh is essential. Bottled grapefruit juice loses its bitter edge within a day of opening and turns the drink dull.

What is the ice cone about?

Don the Beachcomber's bars served it with a cone of shaved ice packed around a straw, so you drank through a channel bored in the ice. It is theater, but functional theater, since the drink stays freezing and dilutes slowly. Packed crushed ice gets you most of the way.

What ingredients are in a Navy Grog?

A classic Navy Grog calls for 30 ml (1 oz) White rum, 30 ml (1 oz) Dark rum, 15 ml (0.5 oz) Aged rum, 22 ml (0.75 oz) Grapefruit juice, 22 ml (0.75 oz) Fresh lime juice, 15 ml (0.5 oz) Honey syrup. That single-serve spec scales cleanly — the recipe above converts it to oz and multiplies it for 2–4 drinks.

How strong is a Navy Grog?

A standard Navy Grog is roughly 22% ABV once mixed (before ice melt softens it further). That makes it spirit-forward — closer to a Martini than to a beer, so sip it slowly.

Is a Navy Grog shaken or stirred?

A Navy Grog is shaken — the rule of thumb is to shake anything with citrus juice. About 13 seconds with plenty of ice chills and dilutes it correctly.

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