Rum in winter
Grog, Jagertee, Hot Buttered Rum: hot drinks with rum
Grog is hot water with rum and sugar, Jagertee is black tea with Austrian rum and spices, Hot Buttered Rum is a spiced drink with butter. For all three: the rum goes in last, into the hot but no longer boiling drink, otherwise the alcohol and aroma evaporate.
What is Grog? From ship to northern German living room
The name comes from the British Navy. In 1740, Admiral Edward Vernon ordered that sailors' daily rum ration be diluted with water. According to legend, he was nicknamed Old Grog for his coat made of grogram, a coarse fabric, and the diluted ration inherited the name. Back then, Grog was served cold and was mainly a way to stretch the ration.
In northern Germany, it became a hot winter drink: rum, sugar, and hot water in a mug with a handle. A well-known folk saying sums up the recipe: "Rum must, sugar may, water needn't." It's meant as a joke. Typical proportions are about 4 cl of rum to 10–15 cl of hot water and one to two teaspoons of sugar, preferably brown rock candy.
Classically, northern Germany often used rum-verschnitt in the glass. That's not rum, but a spirit made from rum and neutral alcohol, where at least five percent of the alcohol must come from rum. For a Grog with more character, genuine Jamaican rum works better. Its fruity esters survive the hot water and perfume the glass.
Jagertee: Austria's mountain-lodge drink with Inländerrum
In the Austrian Alps, the hot rum drink is called Jagertee. The base is strong black tea, sweetened and spiced with cinnamon, clove, or orange peel. Added to this is Inländerrum, the Austrian specialty with rum flavor. Recipes vary from lodge to lodge; some add red wine or fruit brandy.
Inländerrum is legally not rum under EU categories, but a protected geographical indication for another spirit drink. Since 1999, it has been made solely from rum flavored with Inländerrum essence, without any neutral alcohol, and bottled at a minimum of 38% ABV. Its aroma of vanilla, caramel, and pastry pairs well with tea and spices. In earlier times, Inländerrum was an artificial rum made from neutral spirit, rum essence, and caramel coloring.
Hot Buttered Rum: butter, spice, aged rum
Hot Buttered Rum comes from North America and is the richest of the three. First, a paste is mixed: softened butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove. A spoonful goes into a pre-warmed glass, along with aged rum and hot water. The butter melts and forms a fine film over the drink.
The trick lies in the chemistry. Many aromatic compounds from spices and oak barrels dissolve better in fat than in water. The butter carries vanilla, cinnamon, and caramel further, making the drink feel smoother. A dark, aged molasses rum works better here than a light white rum, since it has the strength to stand up to the fat.
How hot can rum get? Temperature and effect
Alcohol boils at around 78°C (172°F), water at 100°C (212°F). Pouring rum into vigorously boiling water, or reheating a finished Grog, burns off alcohol and, above all, the volatile aromas, which evaporate first. It's better to heat the water, let it cool slightly, and only then mix in the rum. Serve at around 60–70°C (140–158°F)—hot enough for cold hands, cool enough for the mouth.
The feeling of warmth is deceptive. Alcohol dilates the skin's blood vessels, making the body feel warm while actually losing heat faster. Grog doesn't help against colds, no matter how often that's claimed. It's the warm drink itself that's soothing, not the alcohol in it.
In Feuerzangenbowle, high-proof rum is set alight over a sugarloaf resting above hot mulled red wine. How to handle open flame and strong rum safely is explained in the next chapter.