Stynk’n’Grog

[Stynky Tudor]

Recently I’ve been hanging out with friends in Georgia. There have been more than a few conversations about rum and an old concoction that I used to throw together for events. It was often referred to as “Stynky’s Grog” or “Stynk’n’Grog” - I’m looking at you @michaelsbagley, Kendra Guffy and Mark @Quicksilver Heimann.

 

After sharing the first batch at faire, random people would walk up and hand me half/partial bottles of rum and ask me to please make more. It’s a pretty simple recipe - a mixture of (cheap and expensive) rums poured together, watered down with sugar, cloves, cinnamon, sometimes vanilla, nutmeg and raisins.

 

Recently I was asked to make a batch for the (American) Thanksgiving Holiday. Since I never wrote down a recipe, I'll need to do some experimentation. Considering that it’s been more than a minute since I’ve made the stuff, I’m finding it necessary to delve back into rum types and flavors.  

 

Here’s a link to my current favorite Rum Evangelical.

 

[michaelsbagley]

Dude, it sounds like a dream of a beverage... but also something when imbibe to excess has the effects of diminished memory.

 

It also sounds like something that could be improved upon (method-wise, not taste).

 

Im thinking of a concoction where the spices, sugar, and raisins are steeped in boiling water to make a syrup. That way you could carefully measure the amount of said flavourants, and more easily reproduce it in the future.

 

Also, you'll burn through less rum finessing a syrup to recreate it than you would trying your previous method. You can likely taste just the syrup on its own for tweaks and adjustments.

Edited September 23, 2025 by michaelsbagley

[Red-Handed Jill]

Funny you should bring this up.  I've been experimenting with soaking dried blueberries in rum and using it to soak cakes with - it is sublime.  Maybe give that a try as an alternate flavour.

[Stynky Tudor]

21 hours ago, michaelsbagley said:

Dude, it sounds like a dream of a beverage... but also something when imbibe to excess has the effects of diminished memory.

 

It also sounds like something that could be improved upon (method-wise, not taste).

 

Im thinking of a concoction where the spices, sugar, and raisins are steeped in boiling water to make a syrup. That way you could carefully measure the amount of said flavourants, and more easily reproduce it in the future.

 

Also, you'll burn through less rum finessing a syrup to recreate it than you would trying your previous method. You can likely taste just the syrup on its own for tweaks and adjustments.

 

@michaelsbagley, making a (intentional) syrup is brilliant!

 

My early batches were often rushed and thrown together haphazardly and suffered from missing ingredients and undissolved sugars. At some point I smartened up and figured out that I at least needed to heat the water before adding the sugar - inadvertently to your point, making a syrup. 

 

I really love the idea of focusing on making a spiced mixer syrup that could be added for a desired taste or sugar content.
(Pardon if my mixology terms are off/wrong - I'm a kitchen chemist and don't really know what I'm doing.)

 

 

21 hours ago, Red-Handed Jill said:

Funny you should bring this up.  I've been experimenting with soaking dried blueberries in rum and using it to soak cakes with - it is sublime.  Maybe give that a try as an alternate flavour.

 

@Red-Handed Jill, other than raisins, I never thought about using other dried fruits, but I love the idea of using dried blueberries - that's something we will have to try!

 

An old (British) bandmate and friend of mine use to make small spiced breads/cakes that he referred to as puddings. He would also add berries to rum to pour a top of the cakes, after which he would light on fire. Aside from the visual spectacle of burning off alcohol and possibly warming the cakes, I’m not really sure what that did or does.

[michaelsbagley]

I try not to get as hung up on specific mixology terms, as I am only an amatuer. I mean there is a couple of YooHooToob channels on mixology I follow, and I've picked up some of the terms, and try to use them when I can, but I am no where near pedant level in that skillset yet!

But I agree with Jill, anything with Blueberries is devine

[Stynky Tudor]

18 hours ago, michaelsbagley said:

I try not to get as hung up on specific mixology terms, as I am only an amatuer. I mean there is a couple of YooHooToob channels on mixology I follow...

 

Ha! I watch more than my unfair share of BoobTubes, but spill the beans - share us a (hopefully related) mixology vid! I can always use a reference that makes me sound sorta smart and relevant.

 

But on the subject of syrup, here’s a found internet Clove/Cinnamon Syrup recipe that is probably the most similar to what I used to make. 

 

The Spice House

https://www.thespicehouse.com/blogs/recipes/cinnamon-clove-syrup

[Stynky Tudor]

Rummaging around my friend Lisa's house, I've discovered a couple partial/mostly empty bottles of rum - there's just enough to experiment making syrup.  Planning to add it to cooked apples (maybe some oats) and a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.

 

I'm also planning to do some rum shopping, thinking maybe a Hamilton Puesto or Breezeway. Any suggestions?

[Mary Diamond]

Oooh, the clove/cinnamon, with apples/oatmeal, sounds wonderful! Can’t wait to try some… 

[Stynky Tudor]

On 10/13/2025 at 1:09 PM, Mary Diamond said:

Oooh, the clove/cinnamon, with apples/oatmeal, sounds wonderful! Can’t wait to try some… 

 

I'm not sure that I'm going to get around to actually making this for the holiday or the 1721 event, but I'll try.

 

William Broker makes a delicious grog, one to one water and rum along with a simple syrup and limes -- it is very tasty.

[Stynky Tudor]

For the last decade or two that I’ve been making this stuff, it’s gone from a chaotic guess, measure and taste at every step -- to almost cold, divorced calculation. 

 

Here’s my basic recipe...

400ml bottled or filtered Water

400ml of your favorite Rum or collection thereof

8tbsp heaping of Brown Sugar

1 Cinnamon Stick

3 Clove

1 Paper Coffee Filter

 

SYRUP

Pour 400ml of Water into a sauce pan and add 8tbsp of Brown Sugar, 1 Cinnamon Stick and a few Clove, stir until sugar is dissolved – do NOT boil. Continue stirring over low-medium heat for about 20 minutes to release the flavors of Cinnamon and Clove. Remove from stove and allow to cool.

 

While it’s still warm, use a paper coffee filter to strain out the Cinnamon and Clove bits from the syrup -- I just poured everything into a mason jar. If you leave that stuff in too long, it will push it over the top to mediciney. 

 

GROG

Now add equal parts syrup to your favorite rum – adjust (everything) to taste.

 

Special thanks to @michaelsbagley for suggesting to make a (simple) sugar and spice syrup first and to William Broker that confirmed a similar sugar syrup to water to rum ratio from his grog recipe. And thanks to Arminder over at “The Rum Revival” YouTube Channel for indirectly suggesting the Hamilton 86 Rum. 

 

 

 

 

[michaelsbagley]

This brings great joy to my heart to see.

 

Im glad it worked, and even happier you documented the steps and recipe!

[Stynky Tudor]

56 minutes ago, michaelsbagley said:

This brings great joy to my heart to see.

 

Please give the recipe a try and let me know how well it works or doesn't.

 

@Red-Handed Jill, the next experiment is to introduce blueberry.

[Red-Handed Jill]

Excellent!  Can't wait to see the results.