The dark and stormy cocktail is a simple concoction of smooth rum, spicy ginger beer, and a wedge of lime. Sorta like a grown up soda.
This simple Dark and Stormy cocktail combines the sweetness and spice of ginger, the tropical coconuttiness of rum, and the tang of lime in a sweetly, stiffly satisfying cocktail suitable for dark and stormy weather as well as moods.–Sara Kate Gillingham-Ryan
☞ Contents
Dark and Stormy Cocktail
Ingredients
- Crushed ice or ice cubes
- 2 ounces dark rum
- 6 ounces ginger beer (NOT ginger ale)
- 1 lime wedge or, if you want to be trendy, chunk of candied ginger
Directions
- Fill a highball glass–or, let’s just be realistic, whatever glass you happen to have handy–with ice.
- Pour in first the rum and then the ginger beer. Stir gently. Garnish with the lime or candied ginger. We think you can handle things from here.
Notes
*A Boozier Dark and Stormy Cocktail
When you crave a relatively tame nip, rely on the genteel proportions of rum to ginger beer in the above recipe. But when you’re partial to something tipsier, turn to the proportions proposed by entertaining designer Lulu Powers in Lulu Powers Food to Flowers: Simple, Stylish Food for Easy Entertaining. Her tactic is to pour 1 1/2 ounces of dark rum over ice, top it with about 1/2 cup ginger beer, and then finish it with the juice of 1/2 lime. (You may as well toss that spent lime into the glass for good measure.) One version isn’t better than the other. Just different.Show Nutrition
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Recipe Testers’ Reviews
With all apologies to Oprah, I’ll take a Dark & Stormy over a Moscow mule any day. Not only do you not need a special mug, but I think dark rum cuts the ginger beer’s sharpness better than vodka does. Just a warning though. These highballs are strong, so if you’re thinking you might make another to finish off the bottle of ginger beer, stand up first.
I had these in Australia many years ago. This is a refreshing and delightful cocktail. My mother agreed to taste-test the drink, even though she didn’t think she’d enjoy it since she is not fond of ginger beer, but she loved it. It was wonderful the way it was not too gingery or rummy, but it all blended smoothly. This would be great on a hot summer afternoon while the shrimps are on the barbie
Very refreshing drink with the rum and ginger beer. I did like some of the lime juice squeezed in mine. Perfect drink when you want a little something special.
This Dark and Stormy Cocktail is refreshing, simple and delicious! A great cocktail that is not too sweet and is even better with a squeeze of lime. I’m a sucker for anything with ginger.
Simple to make and easy to drink. The spiciness of the ginger beer comes through in this refreshing cocktail, but doesn’t overwhelm. It would be interesting to try this with different brands of ginger beer (or even homemade, but then it stops being so simple).
Such a simple drink, yet refreshing and delicious. For this Dark and Stormy Cocktail use good-quality rum (the official, trademarked version specified Goslings) and a great ginger beer (I used Bundaberg).
Not wintry enough for a heavy cocktail? Too early for a margarita? Try a Dark & Stormy. This easy-to-follow recipe makes this cocktail even more fun to drink. I’ve had luck with Gosling’s brand ginger beer, as well as with Regatta.
This is a very tasty beverage indeed. The spiciness of the ginger beer goes together very well with the dark rum. Make sure you use the best of both–rum from Trinidad and ginger beer from Jamaica. And fresh lime! I prefer crushed ice over ice cubes, as it makes more of a slushy-type drink. Would be perfect on a hot sunny afternoon in the sun. Excellent!
The weather forecast for this week is gloomy, so this seemed like an appropriate drink to try. I didn’t know if the drink was to reflect our overcast, rainy day or transport me to a sunny beach. Because the drink comes together quickly, I didn’t have to wait long to find out. My first sip definitely said sunny beach. The ginger beer lightens the flavor of the rum, and the hint of bubbles is pretty cool. It’s refreshing, bright, and smooth, with a bit of spice on the finish. It has a tropical feel to it and gave me something other than clouds and rain to think about.
A Dark & Stormy is a light, deceptively mild-flavored drink. Ginger beer definitely works better than ginger ale in this mix (I tried, just to taste the difference). The rum is in there, but not overly assertive. The drink itself is quite refreshing, with or without the lime, belying the dark and stormy moniker. At two ounces of rum per glass, though, things may get rather dark if you underestimate it!
I loved this simple cocktail. It’s a little sweet, a little spicy, and the lime adds a delicate citrus taste. A friend had given me a bottle of Gosling’s Black Seal black rum several years back, and I just opened it for this drink. The ginger beer was Reed’s Extra Ginger Brew. I wouldn’t change anything about the recipe
Originally published October 31, 2019
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If you make this recipe, snap a photo and hashtag it #LeitesCulinaria. We'd love to see your creations on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
I am glad you highlighted the brand of ginger beer, that being said it is important to note that if your ginger beer is on the sweet side or not a sharp ginger taste you won’t experience the the best that this cocktail has to offer. Maine Root is another great brand of ginger beer. In boston, JM Curleys has a great dark-n- stormy… they are creative with some of their classics and others and in the case of their version of a gin and tonic they vary the lime to orange and also include yellow chartreuse and use powdered tree bark – chiachona (sp?) – to give the tonic/quinine flavor… also delicious.
Hi Rob,
My Bermudian husband married me, or so he says, because of my treatment of a dark and stormy in a rainstorm that kicked up during a garden wedding in Bermuda. I covered the drink instead of my head. We are such purists that even rain is not allowed to adulterate our drink. That being said Barritts is the only way we will go. Sure hope you can find it in your area.
Ooooh this sounds yummy! It makes me think along the lines of a drink we enjoy, ROOT and birch beer. (ROOT is a spirit.) We do a fair amount of period-correct camping and rum is certainly a part of the experience. Thank you A LOT for this one. It’s going to fit in nicely.
Our pleasure, Penny. It’s what we do…