🥃 Dark 'n' Stormy
Cocktail of dark rum and ginger beer in a tall glass with ice; the national drink of Bermuda, the name is a registered trademark of Gosling Brothers.
Dark 'n' Stormy is a cocktail of dark rum and ginger beer, served in a tall glass with ice: first the ginger beer is poured in, and the rum is carefully added on top, so it lies like a dark "cloud". The IBA lists the drink in the "New Era" category and specifies 60 ml of Goslings rum and 100 ml of ginger beer.
Origin. According to the Gosling's company, the drink appeared in Bermuda: a club of British Royal Navy officers looked after a ginger beer factory there, and someone added local dark rum to the beer. Difford's Guide considers the author and the time unknown and cites a legend about British sailors after the First World War.
Rum and trademark. Gosling Brothers has a history from 1806, when James Gosling opened a shop in Bermuda; the Black Seal rum was named after the black wax on the corks, officially in 1950. The name "Dark 'n Stormy" is a registered trademark of the Gosling family, so only their rum is officially served under it.
Recipes. Gosling's recommends 2 ounces of Black Seal rum and 6 ounces of ginger beer with a lime wedge. Difford's Guide shakes 50 ml of dark rum with lime juice, syrup and Angostura bitters, and then tops it with 90 ml of ginger beer; this comes to about 8.7% ABV. The cocktail is close to the mule family, and Difford's calls it the national drink of Bermuda.
Why this matters to you. Ginger beer is a non-alcoholic carbonated drink, but the glass contains 50–60 ml of rum, more than a standard dose; the sweet ginger hides the strength. Do not drive after the cocktail. The WHO reminds: there is no safe dose of alcohol.
Facts
| Raw material | dark rum, ginger beer, lime |
|---|---|
| Alcohol (% vol.) | about 8.7% ABV in the glass, about 16 g of alcohol (Difford's Guide) |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Dark 'n' Stormy → kind of → 🌴 Rum and sugarcane spirits → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Made from
- 🥃 Rum
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Related to
- 🧑🤝🧑 British, 🌍 North America
- Part of
- 🌴 Rum and sugarcane spirits
Frequently asked questions
Is it true that a Dark 'n' Stormy contains beer?
No. Ginger beer is a non-alcoholic carbonated ginger drink; all the alcohol in the cocktail comes from the rum.
Why is the cocktail called that?
According to Gosling's, a sailor said the drink has the color of a cloud under which only a madman would set out to sea; dark rum over light ginger beer does look like a storm cloud.
Can you make a Dark 'n' Stormy with another rum?
At home, yes, but the name is a registered trademark of Gosling Brothers, and the official recipe calls for Gosling's Black Seal rum.
How much alcohol is in the cocktail?
According to Difford's Guide, about 8.7% ABV and 16 g of pure alcohol in the glass, slightly more than one standard dose.
Where does the cocktail come from?
From Bermuda, where the Gosling Brothers company operates; Difford's Guide calls it the national drink of Bermuda.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🧑🤝🧑 British — People of Great Britain; their protected West Country Cheddar matures for at least 9 months, and tea is drunk with milk.
- 🥃 Rum — A distillate of sugar-cane molasses, syrup or juice: in the EU at least 37.5% vol., no flavourings or added alcohol, up to 20 g/l of sugar.
- 🌍 North America — US and Canada: 9.5 million US cows gave 232 billion lb of milk (2025); Wisconsin makes a quarter of US cheese; Canada runs on dairy quotas.
- 🍷 Drunk driving — Never drive after drinking wine: alcohol slows your reactions.
Similar
🥃 Daiquiri · 🥃 Hemingway Special · 🥃 Gin Fizz · 🥃 Bramble · 🥃 Caipirinha · 🥃 Eggnog
Sources
- IBA — International Bartenders Association: Dark 'N' Stormy (New Era; 60 ml Goslings Rum, 100 ml ginger beer; highball with ice, rum floated on top; lime wedge)
- Difford's Guide: Dark 'N' Stormy (50 ml dark rum, 20 ml lime, 10 ml rich syrup, 2 dashes Angostura, 90 ml ginger beer; 8.74 % alc./vol.; national drink of Bermuda; creator unknown, legend of British sailors after WWI; Mule family)
- Goslings Rum: Dark 'n Stormy® recipe (2 oz Black Seal Rum, 6 oz ginger beer, lime wedge; ginger beer factory run by the Royal Naval Officer's Club in Bermuda; Bermuda's national cocktail)
- Encyclopedia.com: Gosling Brothers Ltd. (founded 1806 by James Gosling, St. George's and Hamilton, Bermuda; Black Seal name from black wax, official from 1950; Dark 'n Stormy trademarked by the Gosling family)
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)