Crown & Anchor
Named after the dice game played on Australian and British Navy ships for over 200 years. The drink combines Crown Royal Canadian whisky with Captain Morgan Spiced Rum over ice with cola – two spirits, two flavors, one long pour. Common at RSLs and ex-services clubs across Australia.
Ingredients
- 30ml Crown Royal Canadian whisky
- 15ml Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum
- 120ml Coca-Cola, chilled
- 10ml fresh lime juice
- Plenty of fresh cubed ice
- Garnish: a lime wedge and a sprig of mint
Glass: A tall highball glass (300-350ml) or a Collins glass.
Method
- Fill the highball glass with cubed ice.
- Pour the Crown Royal first, then the Captain Morgan spiced rum, then the lime juice.
- Stir twice with a long bar spoon to combine the spirits.
- Top with chilled Coca-Cola, leaving 1cm at the top.
- Garnish with a lime wedge on the rim and a sprig of mint inside the glass.
About the dice game
Crown and Anchor (also called Crown & Anchor) is a dice game played for over 200 years on British and Australian Navy ships. Three dice show a Crown, Anchor, Heart, Spade, Club, or Diamond on each face; players bet on which symbols will come up. It was banned in the British Navy by 1939 but kept being played informally; in Australia it remained legal in some forms at country show grounds and RSL clubs into the 1980s.
The cocktail came later – it appeared at British naval mess bars in the 1950s and crossed to Australia with returning sailors. Today the Crown & Anchor cocktail is a fixture at ex-services clubs and country RSLs, especially in NSW and Queensland.
Why this combination works
Crown Royal is Canadian whisky – smoother and slightly sweeter than American bourbon. Captain Morgan Spiced Rum adds vanilla, cinnamon, and clove notes. Together they create more depth than either spirit alone. The lime juice cuts the cola’s sweetness and stops the drink reading as a “rum & coke with extra steps.”
The 2:1 ratio (Crown to Captain Morgan) is important. Equal parts makes the drink read as spice-rum-led; 2:1 lets the Crown Royal’s vanilla character lead with the spiced rum playing a supporting role.
Brand picks
Crown Royal: Crown Royal Original (the purple-bag bottle) is canonical. Crown Royal Reserve is a refinement – smoother but the difference is wasted in a highball. Crown Royal Apple, Vanilla, or Maple are flavored versions and change the drink fundamentally; skip them. Avoid generic Canadian whisky – Crown Royal’s sweetness is part of the recipe.
Captain Morgan: Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum is the standard. Captain Morgan Private Stock is the upgrade. Captain Morgan Black Spiced is too caramel-heavy; Captain Morgan White Rum loses the spice character entirely. The canonical Crown & Anchor uses Original Spiced.
Cola: Coca-Cola Original. Diet Coke or Coke Zero throw the balance off. Pepsi works as a substitute but is sweeter.
Lime: Fresh-squeezed only. Bottled lime juice has preservative notes that throw off the drink.
Variations
Crown & Anchor Long: Same recipe in a 600ml glass with 45ml Crown + 20ml Captain Morgan + 250ml Coke. Summer afternoon all-rounder.
Crown & Anchor Ginger: Replace Coca-Cola with dry ginger ale. Lighter, drier, less sweet – the cocktail-bar refinement.
Crown & Anchor Hot: Add 3 dashes of Tabasco sauce. Yes, hot sauce. Surprisingly common in some Australian Navy mess bars. Adds a clean heat that matches the spiced rum.
Crown & Anchor Sour: Skip the cola, shake the Crown + Captain Morgan + lime juice + 10ml simple syrup with ice and egg white. Strain into a coupe. Cocktail-bar reinvention of the highball original.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I find a Crown & Anchor cocktail in Australia?
Most RSL clubs and ex-services clubs across NSW, Queensland, and South Australia list the Crown & Anchor on their cocktail menu. It’s especially common at clubs with Navy or Merchant Marine heritage. Some city cocktail bars are reviving it as part of the “classic Australian cocktails” trend.
Why both Crown Royal and Captain Morgan?
The original 1950s naval mess version was made because both spirits were on the standard supply list for British and Australian Navy ships. Sailors discovered the combination by accident and the drink stuck. The flavor logic is sound: Crown’s vanilla and rye note, Captain’s vanilla and cinnamon, together create more depth than either solo.
Can I make this with American bourbon instead of Crown Royal?
You can – Jack Daniel’s or Maker’s Mark both work – but it stops being a Crown & Anchor. The drink is canonically a Canadian whisky cocktail. American bourbon’s stronger char and oak character changes the balance with the spiced rum.
What’s the alcohol content?
About 12-14 percent ABV per serve – 30ml Crown (40 percent ABV) + 15ml Captain Morgan (35 percent) in 120ml of cola. Comparable to a Dark and Stormy or a Long Island Iced Tea (lighter). One drink equals roughly 1.2 Australian standard drinks.
Is this drink an Australian original or British?
The cocktail and the name originate from British naval tradition (the dice game is British naval). The drink crossed to Australia with returning sailors after WWII and was adopted into the Australian RSL and ex-services club tradition. Today it’s more common in Australia than in Britain. Effectively a shared Commonwealth naval drink, claimed by both.
More Like This
Other Australian classics: Spider, Long Tan Cocktail, Bundy & Cola, Snake Bite. For more whisky highballs, see our Whiskey Cocktails collection.
