Sano Grog

We'd just come home on a brisk November night (ok, brisk for Northern California), and I was in the mood for a warm drink. Normally in this instance I'd have some tea, but I'm also due for a cocktail post, so I thought I'll kill two birds with one stone.

Hence, a visit over to the Esquire Drinks site (which is nicely organized by drink type) to find a hot punch recipe. The Sano Grog sounded like it would be a nice alcoholic substitute for tea. And easy to make, too! No steeping cloves, whipping cream, or mixing stuff up in saucepans.

So, here we go:
Sano Grog
Into a tall, heavy glass or mug, put:

1 oz bourbon (Jim Beam)
1 oz dark Jamaica rum (Myers's)
1/2 oz Grand Marnier
1/2 teaspoon bar sugar
1 thin wheel of lemon

Add 3 or 4 oz boiling water.

I have to admit, I at first forgot the sugar. And I thought, this drink is crap! It takes like hot, watered-down liquor. Luckily, I looked at the recipe again and noticed the omission. Whew!

I think grog is an appropriate word to describe this drink. It's hearty and warm, yet isn't burdened with "holiday" flavors like cinnamon or nutmeg. If you are saying to yourself, "I'm cold, and I'd like some hooch, but nothing too fancy," this is the drink for you.