The 3 Ingredients You Need To Make A Dark And Stormy Cocktail

With a dark and stormy cocktail, there is something fascinating about how the deep brown of the drink transitions to a lighter, yellowish hue towards the bottom of the glass. The color balances out as the beverage (also known as a dark 'n stormy) is stirred, becoming a much more approachable amber hue. A sip of the beverage reveals there is a storm of flavors competing for center stage in the glass: bites of spice pushing against thundering sweetness, all mediated by swift and subtle flashes of lime.

The aesthetics and flavor composition of this cocktail keep it far from the list of cocktail names that could use a rebrand. All you need to do to bring this storm to your kitchen is add 2 ounces of rum (Goslings Black Seal is the traditional recommendation) to a tall glass filled with ice and 5 to 6 ounces of ginger beer. Half an ounce of fresh lime juice can be added in with the rum, or you can simply garnish with lime wheels or lime wedges if you prefer a less prominent citrus edge. Simultaneously captivating and refreshing, this popular cocktail may strike your tastebuds with a feeling of déjà vu as the complex flavors at play remind them of a Moscow Mule.

While the origins of the dark 'n stormy are as uncertain as the word "cocktail" itself, its name and history are intricately tied with a particular variety of dark rum: Goslings Black Seal. Known for the elements of caramel, vanilla and spice at play within this spirit, Goslings Black Seal provides an indispensable element of richness to this cocktail. It's so indispensable, in fact, that the Goslings brand holds a registered 1991 trademark over the Dark 'n Stormy title decreeing that no other drink with this name be made with a rum besides Goslings.

For a cocktail that harnesses the powerful flavors of Goslings Black Seal rum, it is paramount that the ginger beer is not replaced with ginger ale. While both incorporate the flavors of ginger, the brewing difference between ginger ale and ginger beer imbues ginger beer with the strength needed to compliment the rum. As a mediator between the rum and ginger beer, lime juice provides a citrusy break from these forceful flavors. This cocktail can also be served with a lime wedge or two so that the drinker can decide themselves whether to break up the darkness and storminess in their glass.