Cocktail recipe: Set sail for a potent holiday adventure with the Atomic Navy Nog

There’s nothing more ubiquitous during the Christmas season than a traditional eggnog, whether its a non-alcoholic version for the whole family or a boozy variation featuring whiskey, rum and/or brandy. It’s hard to mess up this holiday standard if you know what you’re doing, so we saw no need to weigh in with a unique recipe of our own. Until now.

Jeff "Beachbum" Berry serves up a tasty nog at Sippin' Santa. (Official photo)
Jeff “Beachbum” Berry serves up a tasty nog at Sippin’ Santa. (Official photo)

Over the past decade or so, we’ve tasted some excellent examples of modern nogs at the annual Miracle and Sippin’ Santa pop-up bars. In general, the craft cocktail revival has raised the bar on this formerly cringey classic that was more often served out of a carton.

Esteemed author and barkeep Jeffrey Morgenthaler is widely credited with championing eggnog with a craft cocktail slant, leading to a plethora of modern recipes. The recent explosion of local Christmas pop-ups that followed in Miracle’s wake has made the options even more plentiful.

But even in its most elevated form, eggnog is not typically a showcase for bold and aggressive rums. Kevin Crossman’s Ultimate Egg Nog is solid, but it splits the base with bourbon. Inspired by Derek Cole’s Tiki Eggnog, updated this year on his Make and Drink channel on YouTube, I sought to lean into the Tiki spices but also bring to the table the most flavor-packed (and potent) rum(s) in a classic eggnog format.

Hamilton Beachbum Berry's Navy Grog Blend (114 proof) and Planteray Mister Fogg Navy Rum (111.4 proof) are robust and flavorful mixing rums. (Official photos)
Hamilton Beachbum Berry’s Navy Grog Blend (114 proof) and Planteray Mister Fogg Navy Rum (111.4 proof) are robust and flavorful mixing rums. (Official photos)

The result is the Atomic Navy Nog, featuring not one but two Navy-style rums that have been calling my name since their release. Both Beachbum Berry’s Navy Grog Blend from Hamilton Rum and Mister Fogg Navy Rum from Planteray are outstanding mixing rums that deserve a lot more use beyond the namesake Navy Grog.

You could easily use one bottle or the other in this recipe if that’s all you have, but the 50/50 blend is surprisingly not too muddled or muted. In the Don the Beachcomber tradition, two rums are indeed better than one, even if they already are complex three- and four-country blends. To complete the link back to Donn Beach, I tried to employ some of his other favorite ingredients (cinnamon syrup, Gardenia Mix) to give the nog some depth of flavor beyond the rum.

The result, I hope, is a spicy and rummy eggnog that retains its classic form but gives rum and Tiki aficionados an extra special treat.

Atomic Navy Nog in the Atomic Grog, December 2024. (Photo by Hurricane Hayward)
Atomic Navy Nog in the Atomic Grog, December 2024. (Photo by Hurricane Hayward)

ATOMIC NAVY NOG
(By Hurricane Hayward, The Atomic Grog)

• 1 ounce Planteray Mister Fogg Navy Rum
• 1 ounce Hamilton Beachbum Berry’s Navy Grog Blend
• 1/2 ounce vanilla-infused brandy
• 1/2 ounce cinnamon syrup
• 1/2 ounce Don’s Gardenia Mix (see substitution suggestions below)
• 3/4 ounce heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 ounce evaporated milk
• 1 large whole egg

Method: Put all ingredients into a mixing tin and blend with a top-down mixer (or shake) without ice for around 8 seconds. Add 3/4 cup of crushed ice and pulse blend (or shake) for another 8 seconds. Strain into a festive double old-fashioned glass containing a large snowball (ice sphere). Top with grated nutmeg.

Eggnog is usually served without ice. I like mine to remain ice cold, so instead of crushed or cubed ice, which could add too much dilution, I opted for a large sphere. It not only dilutes the drink less, it adds a nice festive touch if you imagine it to be an errant snowball. As Buddy the Elf would say: “Son of a Nutcracker!”

Tasting notes: A rich and spicy grog-meets-nog that packs a boozy punch. The bold rums are tempered by the creamy ingredients, and the nuanced flavors rise above your typical milk punch.

Ingredient notes: Evaporated milk brings a thicker, creamier consistency and a more concentrated flavor than regular whole milk. Also be sure to use real cream and a fresh egg. Both are essential to a proper nog. Blending (or shaking) without ice is common in cocktails containing eggs (or egg whites), enhancing the frothy texture.

A vanilla-infused brandy recipe can be found in the 2016 book, Smuggler’s Cove: Exotic Cocktails, Rum and the Cult of Tiki by Martin and Rebecca Cate. It simply involves adding an 8-inch vanilla bean (cut into three equal pieces) to a liter of brandy for two weeks, then straining and adding 2 ounces of Demerara syrup. We’ve found many uses for it over the years. If you’re less ambitious, a regular 80-proof brandy will work, as will Tuaca or another quality vanilla liqueur. I would just avoid low-ABV sugar bombs.

A rich cinnamon syrup brings the sweetness and some spice. Homemade is best, though BG Reynolds traditionally makes a very good bottled version. Don’s Gardenia Mix is a secret Donn Beach ingredient uncovered by Beachbum Berry during his research into his many books on classic Tiki cocktails. It features a blend of honey, unsalted butter, cinnamon syrup, allspice liqueur, and vanilla syrup. Check the video above to make at home. If that sounds too daunting, BG Reynolds also makes a bottled version that uses coconut instead of butter.

Yes, cinnamon is featured in both syrups, but it’s very subtle in the Gardenia Mix. Another option is to replace the Gardenia Mix with 1/4 ounce of Don’s Spices #2 (equal parts vanilla syrup and allspice dram), and 1/4 ounce of honey-butter mix (equal parts, heated and mixed until liquid, then returned to room temperature). That’s the combo I prefer to use.

We recently enjoyed samples of the component rums and a cocktail featuring Planteray's Mister Fogg Navy Rum during a seminar hosted by Maison Ferrand's Adrienne Stoner at the Miami Rum Renaissance Festival. (Photo by Hurricane Hayward / Nov. 9, 2024)
We recently enjoyed samples of the component rums and a cocktail featuring Planteray’s Mister Fogg Navy Rum during a seminar hosted by Maison Ferrand’s Adrienne Stoner at the Miami Rum Renaissance Festival. (Photo by Hurricane Hayward / Nov. 9, 2024)

THE RUMS

Considering that eggnog evolved from a medieval British drink called posset (which included milk, cream, sugar, eggs, spices, and wine or beer), it’s appropriate that we turn to the Brits for another spirit that’s deeply steeped in history. What we know today as Navy rum can be traced back centuries, as explored in detail by author Matt (Rum Wonk) Pietrek and master distiller Alexandre Gabriel in the new book, Exploring 300 Years of Royal Navy Rum and its Techniques.

Planteray Mister Fogg Navy Rum – This unique, limited-edition blend released in 2024 is the result of years of research by Pietrek (who also wrote the award-winning Modern Caribbean Rum) and Gabriel (owner of spirits company Maison Ferrand and the Planteray Rum brand). Bottled at 111.4 proof and encompassing four historic British rum-producing centers (Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad and Guyana), it’s probably the closest we’ll ever taste to a true Navy rum from the past.
• Related: Reviving Navy Rum: The story behind Planteray Mister Fogg’s limited edition bottle (Forbes)

Supplies are getting low, but there will be future bottlings. Like historic Navy rum itself, however, it will change with the tides and morph as the source products, blending and aging are tweaked slightly. In addition to a fantastic Navy Grog, we discovered that Mister Fogg makes a wonderful Planter’s Punch. The rich and deep flavors of dark fruit and molasses shine in cocktails, including our eggnog recipe above.

On the back of the Navy Grog Blend from Hamilton Rum you'll find a new recipe from Jeff "Beachbum" Berry that employs the new rum in a simplified recipe that's arguably better than the original. (Photo by Hurricane Hayward)
On the back of the Navy Grog Blend from Hamilton Rum you’ll find a new recipe from Jeff “Beachbum” Berry that employs the new rum in a simplified recipe that’s arguably better than the original. (Photo by Hurricane Hayward)

Hamilton Beachbum Berry Navy Grog Blend – Introduced in 2022, this is the follow-up to the wildly successful Hamilton Beachbum Berry’s Zombie Blend in 2021. [See video] Designed as a one-bottle solution to the three rums featured in Don the Beachcomber’s signature 1940s-era Navy Grog, this 114-proof flavor bomb includes five different components from Jamaica, Guyana, and the Dominican Republic.
• Past coverage: Zombie hunters: Beachbum Berry and Ed Hamilton join forces on new rum blend

Like its predecessor, this is no one-trick pony. In addition to the suggested recipes at BeachbumBerry.com, we’ve enjoyed the Navy Grog Blend in a wide array of classic Tiki cocktails: Hurricane, Jet Pilot, Lapu Lapu, Mai Tai, Puka Punch, and more. Add to that list the Atomic Navy Nog, which benefits from the punchy flavors but not enough to overpower.

Substitutions: We hope you have access to one or both of the above rums, but in case you don’t here are a few suggestions. Hamilton Navy Strength is a 114-proof blend of rums from Jamaica and Guyana that hits many of the same high notes as the Navy Grog Blend. Tiki Lovers Dark Rum is another fine 114-proof blend that encompasses the same four source countries as Mister Fogg. Among the more widely available options, we’d recommend 1 1/2 ounces of Pusser’s Gunpowder (109 proof rum from Guyana, Trinidad and Barbados), and 1/2 ounce of Smith & Cross Jamaican rum (114 proof). Both retain the spirit of historic Navy rums, both in flavor and ABV.

Okole maluna!

PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY!

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Atomic Grog Cocktail Recipes, A through Z
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A comprehensive list of every recipe we’ve posted on the site, from the 151 Swizzle to the Zombie, also sorted by style and creator.

Okole Maluna Society: The Mai-Kai Cocktail Guide
Okole Maluna Society: The Mai-Kai Cocktail Guide

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