A dark 'n' stormy is a
highball
A highball is a mixed alcoholic drink composed of an alcoholic base spirit and a larger proportion of a non-alcoholic mixer, often a carbonated beverage. Examples include the Seven and Seven, Scotch and soda, gin and tonic, screwdriver ...
cocktail made with
dark rum
Rum is a liquor made by fermentation (food), fermenting and then distillation, distilling sugarcane molasses or sugarcane juice. The distillate, a clear liquid, is often barrel aging, aged in barrels of oak. Rum originated in the Caribbean in t ...
(the "dark") and
ginger beer
Traditional ginger beer is a sweetened and carbonated, usually non-alcoholic beverage. Historically it was produced by the natural fermentation of prepared ginger spice, yeast and sugar.
Modern ginger beers are often mass production, manufactur ...
(the "stormy") served over
ice
Ice is water that is frozen into a solid state, typically forming at or below temperatures of 0 ° C, 32 ° F, or 273.15 K. It occurs naturally on Earth, on other planets, in Oort cloud objects, and as interstellar ice. As a naturally oc ...
and garnished with a slice of
lime
Lime most commonly refers to:
* Lime (fruit), a green citrus fruit
* Lime (material), inorganic materials containing calcium, usually calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide
* Lime (color), a color between yellow and green
Lime may also refer to:
Bo ...
.
Lime juice and simple syrup are also frequently added.
This drink is very similar to the
Moscow mule
A Moscow mule is a cocktail made with vodka, ginger beer, and lime juice; garnished with a slice or wedge of lime, and a sprig of mint. The drink, being a type of buck, is sometimes called vodka buck. It is popularly served in a copper mug, ...
except that the Dark 'n' Stormy has dark rum instead of
vodka
Vodka ( ; is a clear distilled beverage, distilled alcoholic beverage. Its varieties originated in Poland and Russia. Vodka is composed mainly of water and ethanol but sometimes with traces of impurities and flavourings. Traditionally, it is ...
. The original Dark 'n' Stormy was made with Gosling Black Seal rum and Barritt's Ginger Beer, but after the partnership between the two failed and the companies parted ways, Gosling Brothers created its own ginger beer.
Gosling Brothers claims that the drink was invented in
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. The closest land outside the territory is in the American state of North Carolina, about to the west-northwest.
Bermuda is an ...
just after World War I.
Trademark and litigation
Gosling Brothers has registered a version of the name that uses one apostrophe ('N), while the
International Bartenders Association
The International Bartenders Association (IBA) is an international organisation established in order to represent the most skilled bartenders in the world. It was founded on 24 February 1951.
An annual event, both World Cocktail Competition ( ...
uses two apostrophes ('N').
In the United States, "Dark 'n Stormy" has been a registered
trademark
A trademark (also written trade mark or trade-mark) is a form of intellectual property that consists of a word, phrase, symbol, design, or a combination that identifies a Good (economics and accounting), product or Service (economics), service f ...
of
Gosling Brothers Ltd of Bermuda since 1991.
Gosling Brothers uses this registration to prohibit US marketing of a drink under the name "Dark 'n Stormy", or a related, confusing name, unless it is made with Gosling Black Seal rum.
Gosling's has litigated or threatened litigation over the mark against
Pernod Ricard
Pernod Ricard () is a French company best known for its anise-flavoured pastis apéritifs Pernod Anise and Ricard Pastis (often referred to simply as ''Pernod'' or '' Ricard''). The world's second-largest wine and spirits seller, it also produ ...
,
Proximo Spirits
Proximo Spirits, Inc., is an American multinational alcoholic beverage company, with its headquarters in Jersey City, New Jersey. It is a major distributor of tequila and other spirits, it is best known for Jose Cuervo, the world's largest-selli ...
,
Infinium Spirits' Zaya, and a cocktail blog.
Because of Gosling Brothers' threats of litigation, some sources use other variations on the name, such as "safe harbor", to offer similar drinks.
Variations
A cider and stormy, or dark 'n' stormy cider, or dark and stormy orchard, is a mix of dark rum, apple cider, and ginger beer. The fall dark 'n' stormy contains bourbon, apple cider, lemon juice, and ginger beer.
See also
Other trademarked cocktails include:
*
Hand Grenade
A grenade is a small explosive weapon typically thrown by hand (also called hand grenade), but can also refer to a Shell (projectile), shell (explosive projectile) shot from the muzzle of a rifle (as a rifle grenade) or a grenade launcher. A mod ...
*
Painkiller
An analgesic drug, also called simply an analgesic, antalgic, pain reliever, or painkiller, is any member of the group of drugs used for pain management. Analgesics are conceptually distinct from anesthetics, which temporarily reduce, and in s ...
*
Sazerac
The Sazerac is a local variation of a cognac or whiskey cocktail originally from New Orleans, named for the ''Sazerac de Forge et Fils'' brand of cognac brandy that served as its original main ingredient. The drink is most traditionally a combi ...
Related cocktails:
*
Buck (cocktail)
A buck is a cocktail that is made with ginger ale or ginger beer, citrus juice, and any of a number of base liquors. Buck cocktails are sometimes called "mules" due to the popularity of a vodka buck that is known as a Moscow mule.
History
The b ...
(family of cocktails using ginger beer and lime; a dark 'n' stormy with lime juice may be called a rum buck)
References
External links
Gosling's Brothers' US Trademark Registration*
{{IBACocktails
Cocktails with dark rum
Bermudian cuisine
Two-ingredient cocktails
Cocktails with ginger beer