wong's grog

3/4 oz El Dorado 5 Year Rum
3/4 oz Goslings Black Seal 80 Proof Rum
3/4 oz Rittenhouse 100 Rye
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Grapefruit Juice
1/2 oz Burnt Cinnamon Syrup
1/4 tsp Ground Kona Coffee Beans
1/4 tsp Vanilla Paste

Infuse rums and rye with coffee in a mixing glass for 5 minutes. Add rest of ingredients and ice, shake, and double strain into a double Old Fashioned glass. The glass can have an ice cone with lime wheel garnish or can be filled with crushed ice with a lime twist garnish.

Wednesday last week, I stopped into Clio to taste some of the drinks on their new menu. I recently learned that Randy Wong has moved up from schemer and collaborator (to head bartender Todd Maul) all the way up to being a full bartender at Clio. Randy has been mentioned here a few times for his Tiki-inspired recipes that have made their way to different bars including Drink such as the Chee Hoo Fizz and Helen the Pacific. This time, instead of another bartender making his recipes, I had the chance to be served by him directly. For my first drink, I, therefore, went with Wong's Grog which is his take on the classic Navy Grog.
The Wong's Grog began with a lime oil aroma from the twist. The sip was a dark citrus and caramel taste that was followed by spice notes from the vanilla, coffee, and cinnamon. Overall, it was on the dry end of the spectrum for Tiki drinks and the coffee helped by providing a gentle bitter finish to the swallow.