Dark N’ Stormy

A favorite of British sailors, the Dark N’ Stormy may just be the perfect summertime cocktail.
Don’t try to make it with ginger ale; the spiciness of ginger beer is what keeps the drink crisp and bright, instead of syrupy and sweet.
We are legally obligated to note that Gosling Brothers purchased the trademark to the Dark N’ Stormy recipe, and has been quite litigious to sources who publish the recipe without explicitly stating that Gosling’s Black Seal Rum is the “official” rum for a Dark N’ Stormy, whatever that means.
History, however, disagrees with Gosling’s. The earliest recipes for this drink call for dark, heavy rums like Demerara or blackstrap rum, which was often issued as a ration to sailors in the Royal Navy in the late-19th century. We think it’s much better with the original ingredients, but we’ll leave it to you, the reader, to decide.

Ingredients
- 2 parts Black rum or Dark rum or Demerara rum or Spiced rum
- 3 parts Ginger beer
- 1 wedge Lime
Instructions
Fill a glass (tall or short – this drink isn’t picky) with lots of ice. Add the rum, then the ginger beer, and then squeeze the lime wedge over the drink and drop it in.
Make sure to squeeze the lime wedge as hard as you can, to release the oils from the skin; it’s a tiny detail that really ties together the flavors of the drink.


Get the App
The Cocktail Party app puts this drink – and hundreds more – in your pocket, and tells you what you can make from the ingredients you have at home. It's the best $3.99 you'll ever spend on a drink.

Read more
- “You’re Probably Drinking Illegal Dark N’ Stormys. You’re Also Probably Making the Drink Wrong.” by Emily Bell at Vinepair
