Navy Grog, SC

Lengthy aging (8+ years) lends some color and lots of flavor to the rum. Most often bottled as a blend of pot and column-distilled rums ('Blended' category). Varieties are available from all over the Carribean and the world.

Often referred to as silver or white, these rums are actually lightly aged (1-3 years), but have had their color removed by charcoal filtering. They are molasses based (as opposed to the cane juice-based rhum agricole, clairin, or cachaça). Flavors range from light (Bacardi, Caña Brava, Plantation 3 Star, El Dorado 3) to more flavorful (Probitas, Ten-To-One).

Produced and aged at the historic distilleries of Jamaica, these rums are highly regarded for their funky notes of tropical fruit. They are either comprised of a blend of pot and column-still rums (Appleton Estate) or a heavy 100% pot still rum (Smith & Cross, Hampden Estate, Worthy Park, and others).

This syrup swaps in golden-hued demerara or turbinado sugar as opposed to processed/bleached white sugar. This gives a deeper, almost caramel-like flavor with a funky molasses nose popular in tropical drinks. We always use 1:1 syrup unless otherwise noted in the recipe itself.

The second most common juice used in cocktails. This citrus juice is about 6% acid; 4% from citric and 2% from malic, with small amounts of succinic acid (this is what gives it a little bloody taste). Lime juice should be used the day it is squeezed, some like it freshly squeezed and others like it a few hours old.

A juice used in some cocktails for its tart and acidic properties. Grapefruit juice can be pre-squeezed and kept fresh for many days like orange juice, unlike lemon and lime juice.

Also known as pimento dram, this is an allspice berry flavored liqueur; from the pimento tree. You can make your own! Here is a recipe from Serious Eats: Measure out 1/2 cup whole allspice berries, then crush them in a mortar and pestle or grinder. Place the crushed allspice in a sealable glass jar with 1 cup rum, steep for 4 days, shaking daily. On day 5, add 1 broken cinnamon stick. Let steep for 7 more days, after 12 total days of steeping, strain out the solids through a cheesecloth. Make a syrup by combining 1 1/2 cup water and 2/3 cup brown sugar, heat until it dissolves then add it to the alcholoic mix. Let rest for an additional day, and enjoy!

Aromatic plants used in cocktails as a garnish or muddled into the liquor to add a light fresh taste. Common in the Mint Julep.