Dark and Stormy

I always enjoy being introduced to products I’ve never tried before and recently read an article about Gosling’s Black Seal Bermuda Black Rum and the family that’s been blending it in Bermuda since the mid-19^th century (Fortune, May 2, 2011). Gosling’s Black Seal Bermuda Black Rum is used in a signature Bermuda drink called a dark and stormy that combines ginger beer and black rum, but just not any rum. According to Malcolm Gosling Jr. quoted in this story, “if you use a lesser, unaged version of a caramel-colored white spirit that’s called a black rum, it’s not going to have the same taste. And I don’t want that to be your first dark and stormy.”

Since I’ve persoannly never traveled to Bermuda nor had a dark and stormy, I purchased the ingredients to make it over the Fourth. I found Reed’s ginger beer at Whole Foods (it’s non-alcoholic and can be found in their specialty soda section) and even through Gosling’s Black Seal Bermuda Black Rum has limited distribution in the U.S. (77,000 cases in 2010), I found it at Capital City Liquor Store on Collier Ave.

Here’s how to make a dark and stormy: pour ginger beer over ice, top with Gosling’s Black Seal Bermuda Black Rum and garnish with a lime. How did it taste? The ginger beer I purchased is an organic blend made in Jamaica and has a more authentic ginger taste since it uses real ginger root and the Black Seal Black Rum topping adds a molasses rum taste that complements the ginger beer. I have to say that my first dark and stormy—although stateside because I’m sure it would taste even better while on the island of Bermuda—was a uniquely refreshing beverage that’s worth trying at the end of a day at the beach or lake this summer.     

An authentic dark and stormy is made with Gosling’s Black Seal Bermuda Black Rum and ginger beer.