Grog

Rum had become a staple ration in the British navy by the late seventeenth century. On 21 August 1740, the British Vice Admiral Edward Vernon ordered that the rum ration be mixed with water to reduce drunkenness. English sailors named this mixture “grog” in honor of Vernon, who was called “Old Grog” because of the cloak he wore, which was made of grogram, a thick blend of silk, wool, and mohair. In 1756 the dilution of rum with water was institutionalized in British naval regulations. George Washington’s home, Mount Vernon in Virginia, was named by Washington’s elder half-brother, Lawrence, who had served under Admiral Vernon in 1740.