Dark and Stormy cocktail in a highball

Dark and Stormy Recipe

Dark rum, spicy ginger beer and lime.

Dark rum
Base Spirit
~10%
Approx ABV
Easy
Difficulty
2 min
Prep Time
🥂 Highball 🧊 Cubed Spicy, rich, tangy

The Dark and Stormy pairs a rich dark rum with sharp ginger beer. In India, Old Monk gives it a deep molasses base.

Ingredients

Makes
  • 60 ml Dark rum
  • 120 ml Ginger beer
  • 10 ml Fresh lime juice

Garnish: Lime wedge

How to Make a Dark and Stormy

  1. Fill a highball glass with ice.
  2. Add lime juice and the dark rum.
  3. Top with ginger beer, do not stir.
  4. Garnish with a lime wedge.

Tips for a Better Dark and Stormy

  • Pour the ginger beer last and do not stir, so the rum floats on top at first.
  • A strong ginger beer matters more than the price of the rum.

About the Dark and Stormy

The Dark 'n' Stormy is Bermuda's national drink. It pairs the island's Gosling's Black Seal rum with ginger beer, which the Royal Navy brewed at its Bermuda dockyard. The two were being mixed in the years after the First World War.

The name is said to come from a sailor who compared the colour of the drink to a storm cloud. Gosling's has registered "Dark 'n Stormy" as a trademark in the United States and other countries, which makes it one of very few cocktails with a legally protected name. By that definition the drink is only a Dark 'n Stormy if it is made with Gosling's rum.

At home, any rich dark rum works. The drink is a pub and bottle-shop staple in Australia, where ginger beer is an everyday mixer, and it is a regular on bar menus in the United Kingdom and the United States.

Dark and Stormy Variations

  • Moscow Mule: the same drink made with vodka.
  • Kentucky Mule: bourbon with ginger beer and lime.
  • Spiced Stormy: spiced rum and a dash of Angostura bitters.
  • Light and Stormy: a lighter gold rum with extra lime for hot weather.
  • Old Monk Stormy: Indian dark rum gives a sweeter, vanilla-led version.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is in a Dark and Stormy?

A Dark and Stormy is made with 60ml (2 oz) dark rum, 120ml (4 oz) ginger beer and 10ml (2 tsp) fresh lime juice. It is served in a highball glass.

How strong is a Dark and Stormy?

Made to this recipe, a Dark and Stormy is about 10% ABV and contains roughly 19 g of pure alcohol. That is about 1.4 US standard drinks, 1.9 Australian standard drinks or 2.4 UK units. It has around 180 calories per serving.

Do you use ginger beer or ginger ale?

Ginger beer. It is much spicier and less sweet than ginger ale, and the drink depends on that heat.

Do you float the rum in a Dark and Stormy?

Traditionally, yes. Fill the glass with ice and ginger beer, then pour the rum slowly over the top so it sits as a dark layer. Stir before drinking.

What rum is used in a Dark and Stormy?

Gosling's Black Seal is the original. Any full-bodied dark rum works, including Old Monk, Bacardi Black and Bundaberg.

Is lime juice traditional?

The Bermudian original is just rum and ginger beer with a lime wedge. Most bars now add a small measure of fresh lime juice for balance.
Drink responsibly. The legal drinking age in India varies by state, from 18 to 25. Alcohol content shown is an estimate and changes with ice, dilution and the strength of the bottle you use. We do not sell alcohol.

About the Author

Shivam Sharma
Shivam Sharma
I am the founder and editor of The Spirit Atlas. With a deep appreciation for fine spirits, I built this platform to be the most helpful and honest spirits guide for Indian readers — covering everything from Scotch and Indian single malts to rum, gin and tequila, along with prices across every major Indian state. My goal is simple: to make the world of spirits a little more approachable for everyone.
Last updated: October 2026

Quick Facts

Type Classic
Base spirit Dark rum
Glass Highball
Ice Cubed
Garnish Lime wedge
Approx ABV ~10%
Calories ~180 kcal
Difficulty Easy
Prep time 2 min

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