Name: Dark and Stormy Drink (Rum and Ginger Beer)
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: Ice (to fill the glass); 8 ounces ginger beer (We used Goslings brand.); 3 ounces dark rum (or spiced rum); Mint (or lime to garnish)

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Make a classic dark and stormy in 5 minutes with ginger beer, dark (or spiced) rum, and a lime or mint garnish. It’s simple, crisp, and spicy.

You may also love my ginger pear cocktail and cranberry moscow mule.

Layered rum and ginger beer drink in a glass.

A dark and stormy is a classic rum cocktail that looks sophisticated but takes basically no effort at all. It’s mostly ginger beer (one of my favorite sodas) with a little dark rum over ice. It makes a signature “stormy sky” layer on top when you float the rum instead of mixing it in a drink shaker.

To get the layered effect, it’s all about the pour. Ginger beer is heavier, so if you gently add the rum over the back of a spoon, it sits on top and gives you a gorgeous two-tone look. Stir it before drinking if you want a more balanced cocktail (otherwise the first taste is mostly rum).

Close up of a ginger beer and rum cocktail in a glass.

How to Make a Dark and Stormy Cocktail

This simple drink recipe only has 2 ingredients, 3 if you count the ice, and it takes less than 5 minutes to make.

Fill a highball (or any tall glass) with ice. Pour in 8 ounces of ginger beer. Slowly pour 3 ounces of dark rum (or spiced rum) over the back of a spoon so it “floats” on top. Garnish with a lime wedge or mint. Stir right before serving if you want the rum and ginger beer evenly mixed.

What Does this Cocktail Taste Like?

A dark and stormy cocktail taste like a mix of sweet and spicy flavors. It has a strong flavor of dark or spiced rum and the sweetness from the ginger beer. You can add a spritz of lime juice for tartness if desired.

More Cocktail Recipes

Looking for more tasty cocktails you can make at home? Here are a few of my favorites!