grog-hole: a low drinking establishment, or dive

Grog-hole is the American version of groggery, a nineteenth-century term for an insalubrious drinking place. The word comes from grog, slang for the mixture of whiskey and water served to sailors. Supposedly it originated in the nickname of the British Admiral Vernon. Vernon habitually wore a grogram (silk, mohair, and wool blend) cloak and was consequently known as Old Grog. When Old Grog ordered his sailors to be served with whiskey and water instead of straight whiskey, his name was connected (possibly not affectionately) with the new drink.