Grog is a sailor’s name for diluted rum

The name probably came from Vice-Admiral Edward Vernon’s nickname

He was known as ‘Old Grog’ because he wore a large waterproof boat cloak made of grogam, a thick material that combined silk, mohair and wool

Vice-Admiral Vernon was a big supporter of better conditions for sailors aboard ship

He introduced the dilution of the twice daily half pint rum ration with water to stop lack of discipline and drunkenness

A quart of water was mixed with a half-pint of rum on deck and in the presence of the Lieutenant of the Watch

To make it more palatable, as the water often went stale, he added sugar and lime – which inadvertently stopped scurvy

Vice-Admiral Vernon’s sailors became the healthiest in the British Navy

This custom, in time, got the British the nickname limeys for the limes and citrus they consumed