Dark ‘N’ Stormy

Often called the national drink of Bermuda, the Dark ‘N’ Stormy uses only two ingredients: ginger beer and dark rum. To be authentic, they must be Gosling’s Ginger Beer and Gosling’s Black Seal Rum. It is one of only a handful of trademarked cocktails,* and the company has defended its name on several occasions.

The backstory is as colorful as the drink itself: In the mid-1800s, James Gosling set out from England to America. After a couple of wrong turns and a grueling 91 days at sea (without GPS, of course!), he landed in Bermuda. There he founded his family’s shop and began producing aged rum, bottling it in old champagne bottles and sealing it with black wax—hence the name “Gosling’s Black Seal.” British sailors already drank ginger beer to combat seasickness. The cocktail was born when the Goslings began brewing a non-alcoholic, slightly sweet ginger beer to use as a mixer. To this day, it remains a sailor’s favorite—often enjoyed after a long hot sail, whether in Bermuda or at a club on Martha’s Vineyard!

Ingredients:
2 oz Goslings Dark Rum
4-6 oz Goslings Ginger Beer
1 lime wedge

Directions: 
Fill rocks glass with ice
Pour in ginger beer, leaving a couple of inches of space at the top
Slowly pour the dark rum over the back of a spoon to create a “storm cloud” layer on the top of the ginger beer
Squeeze a lime wedge over the cocktail and use it as a garnish

Serves 1

Cheers,
Sue McNamara CS, CSW
Certified Sommelier, Court of Master Sommeliers
Certified Specialist of Wine, Society of Wine Educators

To obtain a copy of this recipe click on Dark ‘N’ Stormy

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