Heat up with grog

Once the solitary domain of pirates and sailors, grog is thankfully open to the rest of us law-abiding, land-loving folk. And in the interest of discovering additional uses for a new Christmas Crock-Pot, I’ve been looking for a warming drink — particularly in light of Friday’s expected temperature of -15. That kind of weather calls for the home bar to be liberally employed.

Grog is typically some mix of rum and hot water. Throw in a bit of citrus to prevent scurvy and you’ve got the makings of a fine heated drink. 

You can steep it like a hot toddy or mulled cider, using brown sugar and cinnamon sticks as recommended in this drink recipe.

I had a version of this in a Brooklyn bar that made walking home a lot

warmer if substantially less steady. Apparently, grog is how to turn a

hipster bar into a cozy neighborhood joint.