Bermuda's National Drink
The Dark and Stormy is as Bermudian as pink sand beaches and short trousers with blazers. Gosling's, Bermuda's oldest business (established in 1806), actually holds a trademark on the name — a Dark and Stormy must, legally speaking, be made with Gosling's Black Seal rum. Whether bartenders worldwide honour this is another matter entirely, but the trademark stands.
The Float Technique
The defining visual of a Dark and Stormy is the dark rum floating atop the golden ginger beer, like storm clouds gathering over the ocean. To achieve this, pour the rum slowly over the back of a bar spoon held just above the surface of the ginger beer. The density difference does the rest. It is beautiful, dramatic, and tastes just as good when you stir it all together.
The Ginger Beer Matters
Ginger beer, not ginger ale — the distinction is critical. Ginger beer has real bite, spice, and body. Ginger ale is sweetened fizzy water with ginger flavouring. The fiery kick of a proper ginger beer is what stands up to the rich, treacly weight of Black Seal rum. Gosling's makes their own Stormy Ginger Beer specifically for this drink. Fever-Tree and Bundaberg are excellent alternatives.
About That Rum
Gosling's Black Seal is a blend of pot-still and continuous-still rums aged three to six years in re-charred bourbon barrels. It is thick, dark, and intensely flavoured — burnt caramel, molasses, and baking spice. If you cannot find it, look for another full-bodied dark rum like Coruba or Myers's.
Variations
- Suffering Bastard: Add bourbon alongside the rum for a transatlantic twist
- Spicy Stormy: Muddle a slice of fresh ginger in the glass before building
- Light and Breezy: Use aged gold rum instead of dark for a mellower version
