 |
Trader Vic's Grog Concentrate-Aye or Nay? |
The Blue Kahuna
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jun 01, 2011
Posts: 330
From: Points East & West
|  Posted: 2013-02-21 3:47 pm Permalink
. . . this stuff is freaking amazing . . . I don't care what's in it . . .
. . . somebody please check on me in a few weeks . . .   
_________________
Aloha and okole maluna!
The Blue Kahuna
[ This Message was edited by: The Blue Kahuna 2013-02-21 15:48 ]
|
The Blue Kahuna
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jun 01, 2011
Posts: 330
From: Points East & West
| Posted: 2013-02-22 5:06 pm Permalink
. . . and the next night . . .
it is actually a little darker than this photo suggests . . .
Okole maluna!
|
heylownine
Grand Member (first year) 
Joined: Oct 05, 2008
Posts: 472
From: Agoura Hills, CA
| Posted: 2013-02-22 7:54 pm Permalink
You know, I was on the fence about buying the concentrate, and due to procrastination the choice was made for me. Oh well.
On the other hand, using other threads in Tiki Drinks and Food, I've been able to come up with a spice syrup (sans HFCS) that when combined with fresh lime and grapefruit juice, comes really close to the Trader Vic's Navy Grog taste (and thereby the Tiki Puka Puka taste). So that'll help temper any disappointment I may have felt.
Thanks for the reports from those that obtained the concentrate!
kevin
_________________
--
if it's not a little complicated, it's probably not worth it.
http://twitter.com/heylownine
|
The Blue Kahuna
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jun 01, 2011
Posts: 330
From: Points East & West
| Posted: 2013-02-23 04:37 am Permalink
So here is what is even more interesting about this to me. Last night I made three Navy Grogs using different rums as follows:
Cruzan Silver, Cruzan Gold, Meyers Dark
Trader Vics Silver, Trader Vics Gold, Meyers (this is what they used last time I was in Emeryville)
Plantation 5 year, Appleton 12, Lemon Hart 80
I think the best tasting one was the one that used the Trader Vic's rums . . . go figure!
I was also thinking (hey I was in the process of having 3 Navy Grogs, what else can you do but think) that I too balked at first over the $42 total price tag for the concentrate BUT why is it I have no problem plunking down $40 for three Navy Grogs (including tip) at Trader Vic's? How could 430 cocktails at less than a $1 each be a bad deal (especially the way I drink!?
Why, because I hadn't had a Navy Grog prior to or during the contemplation of purchasing said concentrate . . .
[ This Message was edited by: The Blue Kahuna 2013-02-23 04:41 ]
|
danlovestikis
Grand Member (8 years) 
Joined: Jun 17, 2002
Posts: 3553 | Posted: 2013-02-23 1:19 pm Permalink
I like a fine orange juice concentrate myself but it was fun reading about yours from Trader Vic's. Wendy
_________________
|
The Blue Kahuna
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jun 01, 2011
Posts: 330
From: Points East & West
| Posted: 2013-02-24 3:23 pm Permalink
You are too funny Wendy! I'm still a bit speechless seeing you with a glass of champagne at the crawl 
. . . on another note, I think I have perfected the drink for my taste, as follows:
juice of 1/2 lime (I seem to have some pretty strong limes right now, they have a bite)
3/8 oz of TV Grog concentrate
5/8 oz of simple syrup (because I don't have nor have I made TV Rock Candy [double-strength] Syrup)
1 oz TV Silver
1 oz TV Gold
1 oz Whaler's Dark
crushed ice
mint
rock candy swizzle stick
You know what to do . . . cheap rum seems to be the call for this drink, no matter how much I try to dress it up with top shelf stuff, this tastes the best to me for this cocktail . . . now time to settle in for the Oscars . . .
|
The Blue Kahuna
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jun 01, 2011
Posts: 330
From: Points East & West
| Posted: 2013-02-24 3:27 pm Permalink
. . . hmmmmmmm . . . that was quick . . . time for another
|
TropicDrinkBoy
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Feb 27, 2011
Posts: 151 | Posted: 2013-02-24 5:36 pm Permalink
I had a Navy Grog at Trader Vic's Friday night to calibrate my palate. They used 1 oz. of Trader Vic's Silver, Gold and Dark rum. I've never ever seen them use Meyers for their dark rum and I highly doubt they've ever done that. I think the San Francisco recipe was more accurate in using 0.6 oz. Lemon Hart 151 since that approximates the 1 oz. of standard proof Lemon Hart the Trader probably had in mind when he specified 1 oz. of demerara rhum in his 1972 bartender's guide.
Blue Kahuna, you mentioned that you have Trader Vic's Silver and Gold. Where did you buy it? I've only seen the dark at retail (Bevmo). Not that they are anything special. Their amber rum might be worth getting (but not sold at retail) since it is funky like an un-aged Martinique amber rhum (i.e. Saint James Royal Amber Rhum). That's what they used for their special Mai Tai at my dear departed Palo Alto Trader Vic's.
Today I tried the recipe included with the grog concentrate (the official recipe), Trader Bill's recipe (which used 1/2 oz. lemon juice and 1/4 oz. lime juice) and Martiki's recipe (as served at Trader Vic's San Francisco around 2005). That's 9 oz. of 80 proof so I did my due diligence. In each case I used 1 oz. of Eldorado Silver, 1 oz. of Coruba, and 1 oz. of Lemon Hart 80 proof (for the demerara), top shelf rums. Trader Bill's recipe was definitely sweeter, at least to begin with. Martiki's was maybe the best balance between sweet and sour as the recipe supplied with the concentrate was a little sour heavy with 1 oz. of lime juice (1 lime). I must say the grapefruit juice does add an essential flavor component to the drink as I was making it with the Grog Concentrate using the 1972 bartender's guide recipe, which referenced the retail Navy Grog mix and didn't mention grapefruit juice.
Blue Kahuna, I don't know if I have it in me to try your optimized recipe tonight but thanks for sharing the fruits of your labor.
The Navy Grog served on Friday was maybe a little heavy on the Grog Concentrate, probably since they knew I love the Tiki Puka Puka! But in any event, all of them are great drinks and really can't be made without the Grog Concentrate. Thank you Trader! Yum!
|
Little fragrant Tiare
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Oct 12, 2007
Posts: 181 | Posted: 2013-02-25 06:56 am Permalink
Quote:
|
On 2013-02-22 19:54, heylownine wrote:
You know, I was on the fence about buying the concentrate, and due to procrastination the choice was made for me. Oh well.
On the other hand, using other threads in Tiki Drinks and Food, I've been able to come up with a spice syrup (sans HFCS) that when combined with fresh lime and grapefruit juice, comes really close to the Trader Vic's Navy Grog taste (and thereby the Tiki Puka Puka taste). So that'll help temper any disappointment I may have felt.
Thanks for the reports from those that obtained the concentrate!
kevin
|
|
I missed the grog concentrate..but most likely they didn`t ship outta the states anyway...
Kevin, do you have a recipe for your spice syrup to share?
_________________
http://www.amountainofcrushedice.com
[ This Message was edited by: Little fragrant Tiare 2013-02-25 06:57 ]
|
hiltiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jun 10, 2004
Posts: 2771
From: Reseda, calif.
| Posted: 2013-02-25 08:30 am Permalink
Heylowine, if possible I would be interested in your Navy Grog mix recipe also.
|
The Blue Kahuna
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jun 01, 2011
Posts: 330
From: Points East & West
| Posted: 2013-02-25 1:28 pm Permalink
I've bought several bottles of TV rums on special at local grocery stores, 8.99 per bottle. Last time I was at Emeryville and sitting at the bar for an afternoon session was about a year ago (back since then but always in the dining room) and the bartender used Meyer's Dark, maybe they were out of the TV Dark.
More recently, I was in the store looking for TV's Rock Candy Syrup and Grenadine (because I wanted to duplicate the Tiki Puka Puka exactly) and couldn't find those items, but did stumble across a closeout of Cruzan Aged Rum Gold and Silver for 6.99 per bottle, bought four of each!
Yesterday, I had sweeter limes or rather less tart/astringent and backed down the Grog Concentrate and Simple syrup to maximum satisfaction. Also used Whalers Dark and liked it better than the Meyers.
Guess the fun is in the 'xperiment'n, but I guess you know that! Huki Lau!
|
DavidAfshar
Member
Joined: Jan 11, 2010
Posts: 7 | Posted: 2013-02-25 6:30 pm Permalink
Ordered mine the day before they sold out. Should get it tomorrow.
Anyone else curious as to why they sold this stuff? The commercially available Navy Grog mix is no longer being produced. Is it to throw a bone to the hardcore tikiphiles, or is something else going on? I wonder...
Now if only they'd sell the Mai Tai concentrate! True, I can make a better Mai Tai from scratch, but it would be fun to have the restaurant version on hand now that I'm not within driving distance of a TV.
[ This Message was edited by: DavidAfshar 2013-02-25 18:31 ]
|
Trad'r Bill
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Oct 14, 2008
Posts: 450
From: Hercules, CA
| Posted: 2013-02-25 9:07 pm Permalink
My guess is that TVs had a bunch of concentrate that they needed to move quickly, but who knows.
I noticed they changed the label since I last acquired a bottle. Here's one of my old generic-looking labels:
...and here's some *really* old Navy Grog fixins:
-Trad'r Bill
|
The Blue Kahuna
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jun 01, 2011
Posts: 330
From: Points East & West
| Posted: 2013-02-26 03:44 am Permalink
Great photos Trad'r Bill, thanks for sharing!
|
GentleHangman
Grand Member (4 years) 
Joined: Jun 23, 2006
Posts: 350
From: Stuart, Florida
| Posted: 2013-02-28 09:00 am Permalink
I received my shipment of 3 bottles a few days ago. I've made both recipes that came with them. The flavor profile of the syrup concentrate is that of allspice or pimento dram. Just for the sake of comparason, I made both drinks again substituting Berry Hill allspice liqueur (I have St. Elizabeth's as well, but the Berry Hill was open) for the syrup concentrate. There is a subtle, but noticable difference - the Berry Hill added a richer, more complex attitude to both drinks with the allspice flavor in perfect harmony.
That being said, 3 750ml bottles of the TV Concentrate is $30 - ONE bottle of St. Elizabeth's is the same . . . about $30. The advantage, as far as price goes: TV Concentrate.
On the next round I'm going to tinker with the TV Concentrate's measurement, increasing it slightly past the 1/4 oz mark to see if I can come closer to tshe flavor of the allspice liquer.
For the Navy Grog I used Don Q Crystal, Meyers Dark and Pussers. For the Tiki Puka Puka, I used the same first two rums and used Lemon Hart 151.
_________________
I bet you feel more like you do now now than you did when you came in.
GENT
|
