Dark & Smoky
Build ∙ 2 min ∙ 12.8% ABV ∙
A highball built with peated single malt whisky topped with ginger beer, the Dark & Smoky is a smoky twist on the classic rum-and-ginger highball formula. Peat smoke and iodine ride over sharp ginger spice, with a citrus lift from the garnish keeping the finish clean rather than heavy.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Pour all ingredients into the ice-filled glass: Peated single malt whisky 45 mlGinger beer 130 ml
- Briefly stir
- Garnish with an orange slice or a lime wheel
Tips
- Fill the Collins glass with fresh full-size ice cubes first, then pour the peated whisky over them before topping with ginger beer to preserve carbonation.
- Pour ginger beer gently down the side of the glass or over a bar spoon to minimize fizz loss, keeping the drink lively rather than flat.
- Give the drink one gentle stir with a bar spoon, just enough to combine the whisky and ginger beer without knocking out carbonation.
- Express the orange slice's oils over the surface before dropping it in with the lime wheel, adding aromatic lift to the peaty smoke.
History
Dark & Smoky is a variation on the Dark and Stormy, a highball built from dark rum and ginger beer that is generally credited to Bermuda in the years just after World War I. Gosling Brothers, the Bermudian rum producer, maintains the drink was created there using its Black Seal rum mixed with ginger beer, and the company registered "Dark 'n Stormy" as a trademark in the United States in 1991, requiring commercial use of the name to feature its rum. This variation replaces the dark rum with a peated single malt whisky, giving the highball a smoky edge in place of the original's rum character.
FAQ
What is a smoky cocktail?
A smoky cocktail is one built around a spirit that carries real smoke character, most often a peated whisky or mezcal, rather than one that merely tastes smoky from bitters or a torched garnish. The Dark & Smoky gets its smoke from peated single malt whisky, built with ginger beer over ice.
What makes a cocktail smoky?
The smoke comes from the base spirit itself, not an additive. In the Dark & Smoky, peated single malt whisky supplies the smoke, and the ginger beer's spice sits alongside it rather than covering it up.
What is in a Dark & Smoky?
Peated single malt whisky and ginger beer, built over ice in a Collins glass and garnished with an orange slice and a lime wheel. It is a smoky variation on the rum-based Dark 'n' Stormy, swapping the rum for peated whisky.
Is a Dark & Smoky shaken or stirred?
Neither — it is built directly in the glass. The whisky and ginger beer are poured over ice and given only a light stir, which keeps the ginger beer's carbonation from going flat.
What glass is a Dark & Smoky served in?
A Collins glass, filled with ice and garnished with an orange slice and a lime wheel.
What is the difference between a Moscow Mule and a Dark and Stormy?
A Moscow Mule is vodka, ginger beer, and lime, traditionally served in a copper mug, while a Dark and Stormy is dark rum and ginger beer served over ice. The Dark & Smoky follows the Dark and Stormy's build but replaces the rum with peated single malt whisky for a smoky edge.
