Dark 'n' Stormy Highball

Difford’s Guide
Discerning Drinkers (74 ratings)

Serve in a Highball (max 10oz/300ml)

Ingredients:
2 12 oz Thomas Henry Ginger Beer
1 12 oz Dark/black/blackstrap rum
× 1 1 serving
Read about cocktail measures and measuring

Garnish: Squeeze a wedge of lime into drink and drop in as a garnish

How to make:

Integrated version: POUR ingredients into ice-filled glass and briefly stir. Or, Layered version: POUR ginger beer into ice-filled glass first, then FLOAT rum.

Review:

Refreshing on a hot summer's day and darkly appropriate for Halloween.

View readers' comments

History:

The signature drink of Gosling's Black Seal rum and very popular on the brand's home island of Bermuda.
Highball cocktails history

Nutrition:

One serving of Dark 'n' Stormy Highball contains 148 calories

Alcohol content:

  • 1 standard drinks
  • 11.81% alc./vol. (11.81° proof)
  • 14.2 grams of pure alcohol

Difford’s Guide remains free-to-use thanks to the support of the brands in green above. Values stated for alcohol and calorie content, and number of drinks an ingredient makes should be considered approximate.

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Morten Carlsbaek’s Avatar Morten Carlsbaek
24th May 2024 at 17:35
So much better with lime, sugar syrup and Angostura (Difford's recipe). I am no fan of this highball version, which is equivalent to Goslings' own (and I did used Goslings Black Seal.
Hunter Newsome’s Avatar Hunter Newsome
27th September 2023 at 19:11
I usually serve this with a stirring rod so that you may stir to the desired level of integration before drinking (same is nice to do for a Garibaldi or Tequila Sunrise). Personally I like stirring a bit so there’s a gradient and the drink starts out with a punch but gets softer with each sip.
Patrick Brady’s Avatar Patrick Brady
5th September 2023 at 23:31
Quite tasty and refreshing. The "official" ingredients really de-emphasise that wedge of lime as a mere garnish. If you are going ungarnished (I won't tell if you don't), do add the requisite equivalent of lime juice to the glass.
Jimmy Fonseca ’s Avatar Jimmy Fonseca
16th June 2022 at 06:11
When was Dark 'n' Stormy first published? Thanks ?
Simon Difford’s Avatar Simon Difford
16th June 2022 at 12:36
I don't know when first published but I suspect after late 1960s.
John Hinojos’ Avatar John Hinojos
1st May 2022 at 20:04
Great cocktail. Easy and few ingredients. We used an organic ginger beer available here in Southern California. Also used a Rhum Barbancourt 5 Star 8 Year old rhum. The rhum is perfect on its own, but was spectacular in this cocktail.
Loraine Herring’s Avatar Loraine Herring
14th April 2022 at 17:36
Fill glass with ice to the top
Add the Goslings Ginger beer (you can also use Barritts but i couldn't get hold of any) leaving enough room for the Rum
add the Goslings Black Seal rum, i go for 60ml usually.
Squeeze a wedge of lime over the top and drop in glass
this needs a straw ideally but i don't like straws usually so i make this drink an exception
there are other ways to make it but this way you have the Dark 'N Stormy effect with the different hues of the rum and ginger beer..Enjoy
Loraine Herring’s Avatar Loraine Herring
14th April 2022 at 17:29
Been looking at loads of vids and posts on the most authentic way yo make a DNS and there is a world of confusion (to quote a genesis song).I have just bought a case of 24 cans of goslings Ginger Beer and a bottle of Goslings Black Seal Rum as the name Dark 'N Stormy (one apostrophe) to ensure i dont get my door broken down by the trademark police
As far as i understand or the most authentic way to make a DNS is to use a Highball (or Collins apparently) glass.
see next post.........
22nd December 2021 at 00:23
Ideally it should be Gosling’s GB or Barritts GB.