The 18th-century British Admiral Edward Vernon, nicknamed Old Grog for the grogram fabric cloak he wore, attempted to prevent scurvy among his men by serving them a pint of rum a day. The dark navy rum had nothing to do with scurvy, but it did lend itself to “the swinish vice of drunkenness”. As a result, Admiral Vernon ordered that the sailors tot of rum be mixed with water, lime juice, and brown sugar–making the world’s first cocktail. The drink was named Grog after Admiral Vernon.

There are ‘grogs’ and ‘grogs’, but this is the real thing, the original, the one that the Jack Tars of Great Britain’s Royal Navy started drinking every day from August 21st, 1740 forward to July 31st, 1970 - the last day of issue in the Navy, known as ‘Black Tot Day”. Towards the end, they dropped the lime juice and sugar, but not before they’d become known as ‘Limeys” on account of it and their daily grog – the world’s first cocktail!