Dark 'n Stormy Cocktail

The dark 'n stormy is a delicious and popular dark rum and ginger beer cocktail from Bermuda. It's easy to mix up and just as refreshing as any fruity rum drink—perhaps more so. If you are a fan of the vodka- and ginger beer-based Moscow mule and you also love rum, then you need to give this cocktail a try.

The Key Ingredients in a Classic Dark 'n Stormy Cocktail

The dark 'n stormy is a simple drink, so you'll want to use great quality ingredients to mix it up. Here's what you'll need for the classic version:

• Dark Rum: Make sure you are using a dark rum with tons of funky flavor for this recipe. Bermuda's own Goslings Black Seal Rum is the original brand of choice, but any rich, flavorful, and preferably Caribbean rum will do nicely. You want to give this cocktail some oomph, and white rum (even a golden aged rum) will simply not create the same background notes. Do not use spiced rum in a dark 'n stormy. The ginger beer already has the spice profile covered, and there is no need to repeat it. In fact, it produces a pretty bad drink.
• Ginger Beer: A nice, spicy ginger beer is the way to go for a flavorful dark 'n stormy. Barritt's Ginger Beer from Bermuda is the classic choice, but just choose your favorite full-flavored ginger beer to complement the rich dark rum.
• Lime Juice (optional) and a Lime Wedge: Some bartenders add lime juice as well, but it really isn't needed. In fact, if you want this drink in its true Bermudan style, skip the citrus. Or try it both ways and see which you prefer. If you do include it, make sure to use freshly squeezed lime juice. A lime wedge is a traditional garnish.

How to Build This Cocktail

Building a drink means you simply pouring each ingredient in the order listed into the serving glass. So, if you pour liquor and mixers directly into a glass—as is the case with the dark 'n stormy—you are building a drink. In the case of the dark 'n stormy, you'll build the cocktail in a highball glass filled with ice cubes.

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The—Likely—Origins of the Dark 'n Stormy Cocktail

There are a few stories about how this cocktail came about, but there is one that seems the most likely. A member of the spirits-making Gosling family was sailing from England to Virginia in 1806, but due to a lack of wind, he ended up docking his ship in Bermuda instead. There, he continued his family's tradition and developed Goslings rum. Several years later, British naval officers created ginger beer as a way to ease seasickness and mixed the beverage with Goslings rum.

A sailor allegedly commented that the drink looked like “the color of a cloud only a fool or a dead man would sail under,” and the name "dark 'n stormy" was born, according to multiple accounts. At one point, Goslings trademarked the dark 'n' stormy, which means, legally, it should only be made with their rum. But if you choose to make this drink with another rum, your secret is probably safe!

Barritt's is (according to the brand) "Bermuda's Favourite Soft Drink" and is the classic choice for an authentic dark 'n stormy. It is interesting to note that in the official recipe from Goslings (complete with the trademark symbol), they use their own ginger beer called Goslings Stormy Ginger Beer. There is no mention of Barritt's.