Dark 'n' Stormy — Bermuda trademarked their national drink — and only one
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Bermuda trademarked their national drink — and only one rum brand can legally make it. Try to make a Dark ‘n’ Stormy with Captain Morgan, and technically you’re breaking trademark law.
Ingredients
- 2 oz Gosling’s Black Seal rum
- 4 oz ginger beer
- 1 oz fresh lime juice to cut through the sweetness
- 1 lime wheel
- Garnish: half an ounce of fresh lime juice to cut through the sweetness
Method
The traditional build is what makes this drink special. Fill a copper mule cup with ice — crushed ice if you have it. Add your lime juice first, then pour in the ginger beer slowly. Now comes the signature move — float the dark rum on top by pouring it gently over the back of a bar spoon. Don’t stir yet. The layered look is half the appeal. When you’re ready to drink, give it a gentle stir to create that stormy effect as the dark rum swirls through the golden ginger beer. The lime juice brightens everything and keeps it from being too sweet.
Serve
Serve it in that copper mule cup if you have one — the metal keeps it colder longer. Drop the lime wheel right on top. The copper isn’t just for show — it conducts cold better than glass.
Pro Tip
Most people make this too sweet. The lime juice is crucial, not optional. Without it, you’re drinking rum-flavored soda. If your ginger beer is particularly spicy, cut the lime juice back to a quarter ounce. And yes, Gosling’s really does taste different from other dark rums — it’s got a butterscotch richness that works perfectly with ginger beer. That’s probably why they fight so hard to protect the trademark.