Speakeasy: How to Order a Dark ‘n’ Stormy Like a Grownup

Welcome back to Speakeasy, where we take a deep dive into a classic drink and give you the history and origins of a drink, the spirits involved, and how to ask for a drink like a pro. Last time we took a sip of the light and tangy gimlet, today, we’re diving into the dark ‘n’ stormy.

The History of the Dark ‘n’ Stormy

First things first, legally, there is only true dark ‘n’ stormy (not dark and storm, not dark & stormy). How do we know that? We’ll get to that in just one minute. First, some history. Back in the 1860s a family by the name of Gosling started distilling their own rum, which ultimately became Gosling’s Black Seal. At the same time and on the same island, the British Royal Navy started brewing ginger beer (presumably to help with seasickness – the ginger, not the beer).

Eventually, and at around the end of World War I, the two were mixed together and the dark ‘n’ stormy was born. Paste Magazine reports that the name comes from a sailor who said the drink was “a colour of a cloud only a fool or a dead man would sail under.” So that’s promising. 

Now, the cocktail is the official cocktail of Bermuda and enjoyed the world over. Here’s where the law comes in, the Gosling company, Gosling Brothers Limited, holds two certificates with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office that specify exactly how the cocktail should be made. And they are extremely litigious about it.

According to the New York Times and the Smithsonian Magazine, the company actively defends the trademark and pursues companies or blogs that suggest the cocktail can be made any other way. You’ve been warned. [pagebreak]

What’s in a dark ‘n’ stormy?

Since this cocktail is trademarked, there’s no ambiguity here. It’s two ounces of Gosling’s Black Seal Rum in a Collins glass with ice. Top off with three to four ounces of ginger beer. You may rub a lime wedge around the glass and drop it in if you desire. You may find dark ‘n’ stormy’s at your local bar using other brands or types of rum, even lime juice, or flavored beers. Proceed with caution.

What does a dark ‘n’ stormy taste like and how should I order it?

We confess, we’ve never had Gosling’s Black Seal Rum. We have had our fair share of dark rums and we can tell you what those taste like: spicy, smoky, warm, and rich. And ginger beer is tart and effervescent. The mix of the two, in the cocktails we’ve had, produces a sweet drink with plenty of depth and just a few bubbles to lighten it up. This is by no means a “throw-one-back” type of drink. Sip and savor.

Since this cocktail is trademarked, there’s only way to have a genuine dark ‘n’ stormy. So ask for Gosling’s so you can try the drink as it was first meant to taste. What you do on your second or third round, is your business.