The history of grog

Before Guybrush's tavern

In British naval history grog is linked to the ration of rum diluted with water. In 1740 Admiral Edward Vernon introduced the order which associated its nickname, Old Grog, with the drink. The tradition of the rum ration in the Royal Navy continued until 1970.

Grog according to Monkey Island

At the SCUMM Bar the drink becomes one of the most memorable inventions of the saga: a mixture so corrosive that it consumes the containers into which it is poured. The gag is not just a dialogue: it enters the puzzles and tells the world of the game through an everyday object made absurd.

In subsequent chapters grog returns in new locations, cans, distributors and commercial variants. It's a little thread that holds the Caribbean of the series together, just like the insults and the overly enterprising salesmen.

A purely imaginary recipe

The list of substances mentioned by the pirates is a joke from the game, not a recipe to be reproduced: it contains toxic and corrosive materials. Here we celebrate the comic gimmick, leaving the impossible chemistry at the counter of the SCUMM Bar.

Learn more: Royal Museums Greenwich · Admiral Vernon.