Rum with hot water was called grog, the drink that saved many a life on high
seas from freezing to death and was given several times a day to every soul
on board of Her Majesty Royal Navy from 1740 until 1970. Many other Navies
who sailed northern seas copycatted the custom.

Grog made with hot tea rather than hot water (the mix should be no more than
70 Centigrade otherwise alcohol will evaporate in a very short time but that
can also be useful for those who want same taste with less buzz) with
spices (or the rum itself may be spicy) and with some lemon/lime in it - was
called "Captains Tea" in old Russian Navy.
However my favorite Russian navy tea is what was called an "Admiral tea".
Ingredients - one glass of tea and a bottle of good cognac.
You put a splash of cognac in a glass of very hot tea with fresh lemon that
is sipped and constantly topped off with more cognac until the whole bottle
is gone.

Sasha.



"Melinda" > wrote in message
...
> Happy New Year to those in the west that celebrate it today. I made an
> observation tonight. Though I usually eschew alcohol in tea (doesn't need
> it of course) I experimented this evening and found out that calvados
> and/or dark rum go well with chai tea. The apple overtones go well with
> the spices. The rum is less expensive, less rare and still fruity so it
> makes an OK substitute for calvados I imagine.
>
>
> Melinda
>
> "You know much that is hidden oh Tim." "Quite". MPatHG
>