Autumn has exceeded its half, and the time has come for mulled wine, punch and grog. Nothing invigorates on a gray misty morning, does not warm on a frosty day, does not drive away a cold that begins so much as a cup of hot and fragrant drink. A sip - and alcohol spills through the veins in a warm wave, giving a feeling of comfort.
In fact, grog and punch are the late heirs of mulled wine. Even the ancient Romans, who conquered the province of Britannica, learned to heat the wine and add various spices to it. This drink was very fond of the German tribes and received the German name “mulled wine”. Well, later they began to replace wine with stronger alcohol. In this article we will tell you how to cook grog at home. Making this drink is very simple, the process does not take much time. But grog (if used within reasonable limits) is very useful. It strengthens the immune system, invigorates, improves mood, raises the general tone.
A bit of history
Grog is a drink made up of strong alcohol and water. In the classic version, the basis was rum. Why would anyone need to dilute this pirate drink with water? The fact is that until July 1970, rum was included in the daily rations of the British sailor. It was believed that the use of this type of alcohol is the prevention of scurvy. But in the eighteenth century, rum rations were serious: two hundred and forty milliliters of eighty-degree alcohol. It is not surprising that after him the sailors were drawn to various feats: to raise a riot on a ship or to board a vessel. To put an end to rampant drunkenness, Admiral Edward Vernon decided. Sailors called him “Old grog” (it means “old cloak”). This is not to say that sea wolves were delighted with the resulting drink. Moreover, the admiral diluted the rum substantially: he added four times more water than alcohol. But the British appreciated this drink. It was just necessary to heat the water.
Grog classic
Later, the drink acquired many variations. It is prepared on the basis of hot tea or even wine. Rum is sometimes replaced with vodka, cognac, whiskey and even absinthe. Lemon, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, pepper, ginger are used as flavoring and flavoring additives. Since the British drink tea with milk, a recipe for grog with cream soon arose. But first, let's focus on the classics. Initially, grog is a low alcohol drink with a strength of 15-20 degrees. To cook it at home, put a small saucepan on the fire, pouring four hundred milliliters of water there. When it boils, remove the dishes from the stove. Squeeze out two lemons into the water, pour a glass of dark rum in a thin stream (“Bakkardi” and Jamaican varieties are best for grog). Sweeten the drink to taste with cane sugar.
Tea grog: a recipe at home
The best option would be to use English Brackfest or some other black variety. Some trendy modern recipes also use green tea, as well as rooibos, mate, sencha. The main thing is not to spare the tea leaves. We put the kettle on the stove. Bring the water to a boil. In a large porcelain teapot, pour four tablespoons of dry tea, 2 tbsp. l brown sugar, four cinnamon sticks, fifteen little cloves. Pour it with four hundred milliliters of boiling water. Let’s insist. Grog is a warming drink. Therefore, it must be served in ceramic mugs or in thick-walled glass glasses. So the drink does not cool too quickly. First, pour fifty milliliters of rum into a mug. Dilute it with twice as much tea. Put a slice of lemon in a mug and serve.
Lady's grog
In this recipe, rum is replaced with more sparing alcohol. It can be one hundred milliliters of liquor or 50 ml of brandy and cherry (currant) syrup. A teaspoon of black tea with grated orange zest is brewed with an incomplete glass of boiling water. We put two cloves, a cinnamon stick, star anise, in a saucepan, a pinch of vanillin and ground nutmeg. Pour cognac with syrup (or liquor). We filter into a saucepan and tea leaves. We put the dishes on a very small fire and warm them - but do not boil. After which we give another five minutes to insist under the lid. Put the slices or mugs of lemon into the cups. Pour the drink.
Helgoland grog
In this recipe we will add very little water (forty milliliters), and combine dark rum with red wine. As a result, we get a very strong grog. The recipe at home prescribes to warm the alcohol first. For sixty milliliters of wine, you need to take 40 ml of rum. Dilute the alcohol with water. Put on a slow fire, but, like good coffee, we will protect it from boiling. You can warm the alcohol mixture in a water bath. Pour burnt sugar into a glass with a thick bottom . Pour hot grog. Decorate the edge of the glass with a circle of lemon or orange. Serve a hot alcoholic cocktail with straws. This drink can be varied with liquid honey, maple syrup, a mixture of spices, which are usually added to mulled wine.
Hot Butter Room
And you can cook the original viscous and thick grog. Recipe with rum, which can be replaced with high-quality cognac. First, take out the butter from the freezer and quickly rub a small amount of it with large chips. In a glass we put two pieces of sugar, add fifty milliliters of dark rum. Pour boiling water over three quarters of the glass. Place butter flakes on top. All the contents are slightly mixed with a thin spoon.
"Hot Henry"
Heat one hundred twenty-five milliliters of water in a saucepan. Soluble in it is the same amount of honey. Spices (six cloves and peas of black pepper, vanilla pod and half of grated nutmeg) will be repelled in a mortar and added to the liquid. Boil about a quarter of an hour. Remove, let cool a bit. Pour over two hundred and fifty milliliters of vodka. Dip the cut peel of the lemon into the pan and cover. Let the grog stand for five minutes. Then strain the drink into glasses through a strainer.