Dark 'N' Stormy Highball
Build ∙ 2 min ∙ 16.2% ABV ∙
The Dark 'N' Stormy is a rum highball built with dark rum topped over ginger beer and served with a lime wedge. Spicy ginger heat leads, with a molasses-rich rum undertow and a squeeze of lime brightening the finish — an easy porch-and-patio sipper.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Pour all ingredients into the ice-filled glass: Ginger beer 75 mlDark rum 45 ml
- Briefly stir
- Note: For a layered version, pour Ginger beer 75 ml into the ice-filled glass first, then carefully float Dark rum on top
- Garnish with a lime wedge
Tips
- Built as written, the ginger beer and rum go in over the ice together and get one brief stir. For the layered look the card notes, pour the ginger beer first and float the rum on top instead.
- Pour the ginger beer gently down the side of the glass to preserve carbonation; vigorous pouring flattens the drink and mutes its snap.
- Express the lime wedge oils over the surface before dropping it in, adding aromatic lift without needing extra juice in the build.
History
The Dark 'N' Stormy Highball follows the parent Dark 'n' Stormy, a Bermudian highball built from dark rum and ginger beer. Gosling Brothers, the Bermuda-based rum company behind Black Seal dark rum, claims the drink was invented on the island just after World War I, when British sailors on shore leave mixed the dark rum with locally made ginger beer. The name is said to come from an old sailor's remark that the drink's murky hue resembled the color of a storm cloud only a fool or a dead man would sail under, though this naming story is unverified. Gosling Brothers registered "Dark 'n Stormy" as a trademark in the United States in 1991, and the company has since pursued other rum producers over unauthorized use of the name. This highball variation keeps to the plain two-ingredient original build of rum and ginger beer over ice, rather than the lime juice and simple syrup additions found in many modern versions.
FAQ
What are the ingredients of a Dark 'N' Stormy?
Dark rum built over ginger beer, garnished with a lime wedge, in a highball glass. It is built directly in the glass rather than shaken, and this recipe comes in at about 16.2% ABV.
What makes a cocktail a highball?
A highball is a spirit topped with a larger volume of a carbonated mixer and served over ice in a tall glass, built directly in the glass rather than shaken or stirred. The Dark 'N' Stormy fits this exactly: dark rum topped with ginger beer, built in a highball glass.
What is the main alcohol in a Dark and Stormy?
Dark rum is the base spirit, poured over ginger beer in a roughly 3:5 rum-to-ginger-beer build. The rum's molasses depth is what carries through the spice of the ginger beer.
Is a Dark 'N' Stormy shaken or stirred?
Neither; it is built directly in the glass. The rum is poured over the ginger beer and given a light stir, which keeps the ginger beer's carbonation intact.
What glass is a Dark 'N' Stormy served in?
A highball glass, garnished with a lime wedge.
Is a Dark 'N' Stormy vegan and gluten-free?
Yes, this recipe is vegan, vegetarian, lactose-free, and gluten-free, and it comes to around 134 calories per serving.
