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This Dark ‘N’ Stormy cocktail looks impressive and tastes amazing! Just 3 ingredients and a glass full of ice is needed for this spicy refreshing cocktail! I’ll show you how to get that separation layering that makes this drink look so pretty. This drink is simply the best cocktail ever!
“Love this…I look it up every time I want a dark n stormy. Thank u!”
Nicky’s Notes
My old school friend Helen introduced me to this cocktail years ago, and it quickly became a favourite for sunny BBQ afternoons and date nights with Chris. I’ve tried it with several different rums and ginger beers, and I always come back to Kraken spiced rum with a cloudy, fiery ginger beer.
The traditional recognised Dark ’n Stormy is made with Goslings Black Seal rum. My version uses spiced rum, so it’s my personal twist on the classic, slightly warmer, sweeter and more aromatic.
The choice of ginger beer makes a big difference. Look for one with plenty of real ginger heat, as this balances the sweetness of the rum. Fresh lime is important too; its acidity keeps the finished drink refreshing rather than overly sweet.
For the stormy layered effect, fill the glass generously with ice, add the ginger beer and lime first, then slowly pour the rum over the back of a spoon held just above the surface. Serve it layered for the dramatic appearance, then give it a stir before drinking so the flavours are properly combined.
Table of Contents
What Ingredients do we need?
This is a super simple 3 ingredient (well 4 if you include the ice) cocktail. So you need:
- Ginger Beer
- Lime
- Spiced Rum
Which rum is best to use?
You want to use a spiced rum for the perfect dark and stormy. I recommend:
- Goslings Black Seal Rum – this is the official recognised rum used in a Dark ‘n’ Stormy
- Kraken Spiced Rum – This one is my absolute favourite rum.
- Captain Morgan’s spiced rum – this is a pretty good replacement, but i’d always look for the Kraken or Goslings rum first.
Personally, I think Kraken spiced rum is the absolute best rum to use (no I’m not getting paid to say that :-)). It’s an aromatic, rich and spicy spirit – and coming from someone who usually can’t stand the taste the smell of rum, this stuff is amazing!
Notes on ginger beer:
The ginger beers that work best for this cocktail are:
- John Crabbies non-alcoholic cloudy ginger beer
- Belvoir Organic Ginger Beer
- Fever-Tree Ginger Beer
- Fentimans Ginger Beer
- Old Jamaica
I like a cloudy, spicy ginger beer to go with it. John Crabbies (non-alcoholic) is great. I used to use Old Jamaica – but unfortunately, they started adding sweeteners to the non-diet version and I don’t like the taste anymore.
🧑🍳 Abbreviated Recipe
***Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card below***
First, fill your glasses with ice and top with ginger beer – leaving a good inch of space at the top.
Squeeze the juice of half a lime into each glass:
Slowly pour the spiced rum over the back of a spoon. Ensure the end of the spoon is just touching the top of the ginger beer. This should give you a nice separation between the layers.
Garnish with a slice of lime and serve. So good on a hot sunny day (check out Chris gulping it down like a dehydrated fish (fish? – don’t know where I got that from, but you know what I mean) at the end of the video).
A note on the straws
These photos were taken 3 years ago, before we switched to more environmentally friendly straws. We now use (these are affiliate links):
- Paper straws (see the in the video below),
- Compostable straws, or,
- Glass straws.
My vice is definitely 🍫chocolate🍫. The cocktails are saved for nights out with Chris (we try to get a date night every few weeks or so), and also sunny Sundays with the BBQ sizzling away. This cocktail is pretty strong, so I can only manage a couple before I start getting giddy (I am a bit of a lightweight though).
I’ve also been known to pour in some regular alcoholic Crabbies (double booze – very naughty). I just realised that I’m starting to sound like a bit of a booze-head, but actually I’m generally not much of a drinker.
Pin this now to find it later
Pin ItCheers! Here’s to more sunny BBQ days and date nights!
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Video
Check the full video on how to make my favourite cocktail:
Dark ‘N’ Stormy Cocktail Recipe
Ingredients
- ice
- 240 ml (1 cup) spicy ginger beer – I like John Crabbies cloudy Ginger Beer
- juice of one lime
- lime slices
- 120 ml (1/2 cup) spiced rum – I like 'The Kraken' Spiced rum
Instructions
- Fill two 12 oz mason jars with ice.ice
- Add the ginger beer, lime juice and a slice of lime to each glass.240 ml (1 cup) spicy ginger beer , juice of one lime, lime slices
- Very carefully and slowly pour the spiced rum on top – so it stays in a separate layer. You can do this over the back of a spoon for a more defined separate layer.120 ml (1/2 cup) spiced rum
- Add a straw and a slice of lime to the top of the glass then serve!lime slices
Video
Notes
Tips for swapping out the ginger beer or rum:
I use John Crabbies cloudy ginger beer and Kraken spiced rum for this recipe. You can replace these with other spicy ginger beers and spiced rum though. I’ve used the following before now: Ginger Beer:- Belvoir Organic Ginger Beer
- Fever-Tree Ginger Beer
- Fentimans Ginger Beer
- Goslings Black Seal Rum – this is the official recognised rum used in a Dark ‘n’ Stormy
- Captain Morgan’s spiced rum – this is a pretty good replacement, but i’d always look for the Kraken or Goslings rum first.
Nutritional information is per glass.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This Dark and Stormy recipe post was first published in June 2016. Updated in August 2019 with tips, step by step photos and a video. Updated since with more information and for housekeeping reasons.
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- New Year’s Eve Rum Berry Cocktail
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- Black Cherry Bellini
- Gin and Cucumber Basil Smash
- Spiced Rum Float
- Pineapple Ginger Mojitos with Spiced Rum
- Charred Grapefruit and Ginger Fizz with Chilli Syrup – this ones a mocktail!
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Try Royal Navy strength “Pusser’s” rum. Maybe reduce it to 50ml per serving, or not if you’re brave.
You won’t go back to Gosling’s, as good as it is.
Also, a tip. I found it helpful to chill the spoon in the refridgeriser first.
You’re welcome.