Dark N Stormy
I know we’re getting toward the end of summer, but I thought I could sneak in at least one last fun summer cocktail before fall and school are back in full swing. While I love the flavors of this drink, what really excites me about it is how unbelievably easy it is to make. This classic has only two ingredients. Two! I know, I can’t believe it either. I don’t know the last time I made a cocktail that had only two ingredients. Most of them have at least three if not four or five. And a cocktail with two ingredients means it’s not only ideal for happy hour, it’s the perfect choice for an end of the summer barbecue.
As I’ve mentioned before, I’m not a girl who likes spice. Hot chiles and lots of pepper just aren’t for me. But when it comes to ginger and horseradish, I can’t get enough. So while I turn my nose up at those jalapeño cocktails that seem to be so popular, I can’t seem to get enough of the ones that use ginger beer as their mixer. I don’t know what it is about ginger but I just love it. The bite and tongue tingling sensation that comes from this awesome root always makes me smile. So if there’s a cocktail that calls for ginger beer, especially in the summer time, I’m having it. And, as you may have guessed, this cocktail just happens to use that tingling elixir as one of its only two ingredients.
The other ingredient is rum. It’s the rum that makes this cocktail an obvious choice when it comes to summer and lounging on a beautiful sandy beach somewhere. While I’m mainly a bourbon or vodka fan, if I’m laying on a beach or hanging at a friend’s pool, I’m usually holding a rum beverage in my hand. I don’t know why, rum and summer just go well together. But I digress.
The Dark ‘N’ Stormy was supposedly created in the late 19th century by the Royal Navy. At that time the sailors were only allowed 2 ounces of dark rum per day. Since two ounces is barely enough to do anything with, the Navy purchased a ginger beer plant in Bermuda around the turn of the century. A naval officer mixed the two liquids together and the Dark ‘n’ Stormy was born. But here’s where it gets interesting: the drink became such a hit that Gosling Brothers, who created their own supply of dark rums, decided to trademark the cocktail. So now, just like the Bacardi Cocktail, if you order a Dark ‘n’ Stormy it must be made with Gosling’s dark rum. While it’s true you could make a Dark ‘n’ Stormy with any dark rum you wanted and get a very similar drink, you won’t ever be able to order it in a bar unless they’re using Gosling. And that’s why these days when you go into a bar and see a Dark ‘N’ Stormy on the cocktail menu you may notice that the “N” has been replaced with either an “&” or the word “and”. See, it’s totally okay to use whatever favorite dark rum you want… as long as you make sure to use the appropriate preposition.
But whether you use Gosling, Bacardi or Myers’s, the Dark ‘N’ Stormy is one of those drinks that’s both a little spicy and a little sweet. And I can’t think of two better flavors with which to end summer.
Dark N Stormy
Ingredients:
- 2 oz. Gosling’s Black Seal Rum
- 3-4 oz. Ginger beer
- wedge of lime (optional)
Directions:
- Pour the rum into a tall collins glass filled with ice. Top with the ginger beer, garnish with a wedge of lime and serve.
