Dark and Stormy Cocktail

Starring spiced rum & ginger beer, the 3-ingredient Dark and Stormy Cocktail sounds ominous, but it’s a breeze to make and goes down smooth!

Five Reasons to Love this Caribbean Cocktail!

There are so many reasons to love this Dark & Stormy Cocktail recipe! 1) RUM. 2) It’s BEAUTIFUL! The way the unmixed drink separates and the dark rum floats to the top…it looks moody, cloudy, and spectacular! 3) It’s a quick learn – with only three ingredients, you’ll make this drink like a pro in no time! 4) The cocktail’s foundation is ginger beer, which is tangier than soda water or tonic and lightens up the heat of the spiced rum (much like it does the vodka in a Moscow Mule). 5) The Dark & Stormy is sweet and tangy and dang delicious! You’ll love it!

Other Recipes that Use Spiced Rum

• A Spiced Blackberry Cocktail is a refreshing drink featuring spiced rum in a starring role!
• Slow-Cooker Hot Buttered Rum is a classic spiced rum drink that can be simmered in a crock pot all day long. It’s perfect for holiday parties!

Ingredients

Rum: We’re using a dark, spiced rum for a full flavor and rich color.

Mixer: A bottle of ginger beer will give the drink a light color and fizzy, tangy taste that mixes perfectly with the spiced rum!

Citrus: A lime wedge adds a touch of tropical citrus flavor to this drink. (Candied ginger makes a good substitute if needed.)

How to Make a Dark and Stormy Drink

STEP ONE: Pour the ginger beer into a glass filled with ice.

STEP TWO: Squeeze a lime wedge into the beer. Drop the squeezed lime into the glass or use a fresh lime wedge on the rim for garnish.

STEP THREE: Slowly pour 2 ounces of spiced rum over the ice. This allows the rum to float to the top, giving off a storm cloud appearance. Serve layered, but remember to stir the drink before enjoying.

Tips for Success

• Pour the rum into the glass of ice first, then add the ginger beer slowly so it drizzles down under the rum and lets it form a “storm cloud.”
• Don’t mistake ginger beer for ginger ale – one cannot substitute for the other. Ginger ale is simply a carbonated ginger-flavored soda. 
• Offer simple syrup as an addition for those who like a sweeter cocktail.
• A lime wedge can serve as a garnish on the glass, lime juice can be added to the cocktail, and a candied ginger slice can be used as the garnish. Both are delicious options!

What is Ginger Beer?

Ginger beer is a non-alcoholic, carbonated drink with a tart, tangy taste. It’s made from ginger root, sugar, and water. Though it is quite refreshing on its own, its tangy sweetness also makes it a great mixer for trying new alcohols. 

Ginger Beer is a standard mixer for many mocktails and cocktails, most notably for the entire catalog of “Mule” drinks. A Moscow Mule is ginger beer + vodka; a Kentucky Mule is ginger beer + bourbon; a Mexican Mule is ginger beer + tequila; etc.

What’s the Difference between a Dark & Stormy Cocktail and a Caribbean Mule?

Not much! They are VERY similar, both featuring rum, ginger beer, and lime. A Caribbean Mule uses dark rum (and sometimes white rum, pineapple rum, or coconut rum) and a little simple syrup to enhance the tropical sweetness, while our Dark and Stormy recipe uses spiced rum infused with herbs and spices for a bold, silky experience.

Other Marvelous Mule Drink Recipes

• Cherry Moscow Mules
• Arizona Mule Cocktail
• Margarita Multes
• Washington Mule
• Georgia Mule
• Pomegranate Cranberry Moscow Mule

*This post originally posted on 08/22/2014.