Recipes Drinks

Dark and Stormy

Dark n Stormy cocktail with Goslings black rum, ginger beer, and lime.

Elise Bauer

Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.

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Elise Bauer
Updated February 09, 2021
Elise Bauer
Dark n Stormy
Elise Bauer

It was a dark and stormy night... and so starts the sailor's tale, whether it be of vengeful ghosts or monster whales. Thus the aptly named "Dark 'n' Stormy" cocktail, a favorite of the sailing set from Bermuda to up and along the coast of the eastern states.

It consists of rum and ginger beer, and maybe, just maybe, a splash of lime. But it can't be just any old rum. Dark rum is a necessity, and if you want to make the drink true and proper, it must be Gosling's black rum.

Dark n Stormy
Elise Bauer

The rum is often served floating on top, mimicking a stormy sky. The first thing any seasoned Dark-n-Stormy drinker will do, however, is stir it up. It is also officially served in a highball glass, though for those of us who love the drink, any glass will do.

Dark n Stormy
Elise Bauer

If you've spent any amount of time with me, you'll know I'm not much of a drinker. (Cheap date!) But I find it very hard to turn down a Dark n Stormy.

Lobster Cove Annisquam
Elise Bauer

I had one for the first time several years ago visiting my friends Ann and Nick in Annisquam, Mass, a village outside of Gloucester, right on the water by Lobster cove. This is a drink for breezy days by the ocean, with sailboats and salty air.

Annisquam Lighthouse
Elise Bauer

Do you like Dark n Stormy's? If so, with lime juice or without? (I prefer it with.) And do you have a favorite brand of ginger beer to go with it?

Dark and Stormy

Prep Time 1 mins
Total Time 1 mins
Serving 1 drink
The official Dark 'n' Stormy uses only Gosling's black rum. If you don't have Goslings, use a dark rum.

Ingredients

  • Ice
  • 1/4 lime, cut into two thick slices, one for garnish, one to squeeze over the ice (optional)
  • 2 ounces Gosling’s Black Seal Bermuda black rum
  • 4 ounces ginger beer (Gosling's makes one just for this purpose)

Method

  1. Fill a tall glass (preferably a highball glass) with ice. If using lime, squeeze a slice over the ice. Add the ginger beer.

  2. Top the ginger beer with the rum (for effect) and place a slice of lime on the rim of the glass for a garnish.

Links:

The Right Stuff (by Law) - All about the Dark and Stormy in the New York Times

The Wikipedia on Dark n Stormy

Dark and Stormy
Elise Bauer