Dark And Stormy

Dark And Stormy
Michael C. York for The New York Times
Rating
5(152)
Notes
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In 2004, William L. Hamilton waxed poetic about the Dark and Stormy, describing it both as “a drink traditionally associated with sailing and the manly habit of appearing to keep one's balance while determinedly losing it” and as “a spicy and spritzed two-legged, walk-the-decks kind of drink with a lime wedge perched at the top like a pirate's parrot.” This version, adapted from Red Sky, a restaurant on Mount Desert Island in Maine, uses a combination of Gosling’s Black Seal rum and AJ Stephans ginger beer. Simple to prepare — no shaking or stirring involved — mix one up and enjoy it on a sweltering summer night. And don't forget the lime wedge. —William L. Hamilton

Featured in: SHAKEN AND STIRRED; Desert Island Quench

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Ingredients

  • 2ounces Gosling's Black Seal rum
  • 5ounces AJ Stephans ginger beer
  • Lime wedge
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (2 servings)

91 calories; 0 grams fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 0 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 7 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 6 grams sugars; 0 grams protein; 5 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Fill a Collins glass with ice. Pour rum over ice, then ginger beer. Garnish with lime.

Ratings

5 out of 5
152 user ratings
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Cooking Notes

I am Bermudian, raised in the States. There are all kinds of dark messes and storms so float or mix or mix then add float, as you prefer. Black Rum and ginger beer are essential. Lime, bitters, and other flourishes are not. It doesn't need to be fancy to be good.

If you can't get Goslings Black Seal Rum, other black rums might do in a pinch. But if all you have is Myers, I would skip the D&S.

Of ginger beers, some are excellent, some are not, and you can make your own.

Actually, a Dark & Stormy tastes much better using Barritt's Ginger Beer with Gosling's Black Seal! That is the original & the go to recipe for Bermudians world wide! Yes, it is a refreshing cocktail too!

Well, I haven't COOKED it, but I have made it, and it is wonderful any time of year.

This isn't a recipe. It's booze and a mixer over ice. Distinctiveness is derived entirely from quality of ingredients.

Yes, & I've been "cooked" or "full hot" by them in the past!

I had my first Dark n’ Stormy in Bermuda in the 60s and have loved them ever since. Gosling’s Black Seal, Ginger beer, and never any fruit. No respectful Bermudian would add fruit!

I put the goslings on top, as a float. That better recreates the appearance of a stormy sky.

Start with ice, then ginger beer, maybe a squirt of lime, Then pour dark rum over a SPOON back to float the rum over the ginger beer like storm clouds. Storm's a brewing!

I'm so happy that this recipe doesn't add extra ingredients that would ruin this drink. Too many bars add lime juice to it and it completely changes the flavor. Just the rum and ginger beer please!

Hello from Seattle - in a stormy night a dark and stormy always hits the spot. there's a ginger beer place call RGB for Rachel's Ginger Beer which freshly made and it is sold in growlers, turned out to be the best for this drink

If you can find it, Blenheim's spicy ginger ale ("pink cap") makes an amazing D&S.

Goslings ginger beer is not from Bermuda. It's made by Polar beverages...in Worcester, MA. For a REALLY spicy d & s, try a Goya ginger beer.

It’s nice to pour the dark rum in last so it floats on top while you take the first few sips. Then it mixes and becomes a refreshing chaser.

I rediscovered the D&S this summer when I found some Goslings at my local super market in Maine. I added Maine Root Spicy Ginger Beer. It was fantastic. I tried other ginger beers and was disappointed. Maine Root is now my go to for a D&S. Give it a try!

I'm not much of a drinker, but it would't be summer when I'm on Martha's Vineyard, if I didn't have a Dark and Stormy at the Edgartown Yacht Club. They charge a fortune for it as it's a "specialty drink", but hey, it's only one or two while I'm there. I ADORE anything with ginger in it, and ginger beer is just the best. This is the consummate summer drink when one is near the ocean and boats.

I use Barritt's Diet Ginger Beer. I like to cheat the calorie intake whenever and where ever I can!

It's Barritt's and Myers or Goslings or Mount Gay and the lime (wedge or a squeeze of same) is essential. Maybe that's the Bahamian way, not the ever-so-uptight Bermudian mix! Either way, it's a cracking sundowner.

Actually, a Dark & Stormy tastes much better using Barritt's Ginger Beer with Gosling's Black Seal! That is the original & the go to recipe for Bermudians world wide! Yes, it is a refreshing cocktail too!

This isn't a recipe. It's booze and a mixer over ice. Distinctiveness is derived entirely from quality of ingredients.

Aren't you supposed to float the dark rum on top?

No. In Bermuda, where the D & S originated, they don't even use lime. Essentially, it's a Dark rum highball.

I am Bermudian, raised in the States. There are all kinds of dark messes and storms so float or mix or mix then add float, as you prefer. Black Rum and ginger beer are essential. Lime, bitters, and other flourishes are not. It doesn't need to be fancy to be good.

If you can't get Goslings Black Seal Rum, other black rums might do in a pinch. But if all you have is Myers, I would skip the D&S.

Of ginger beers, some are excellent, some are not, and you can make your own.

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Credits

Adapted from Red Sky

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