Dark & Stormy

The Dark & Stormy is a classic cocktail requiring minimal effort for a lovely, low-key afternoon.

Dark & Stormy

2 oz dark rum

4 oz ginger beer

1/2-1 oz freshly squeezed lime juice (optional)

lime wheel, for garnish

Combine rum, ginger beer and lime juice in a Collins glass with ice; garnish with lime wheel.

Notes: The trick to a truly transcendent Dark & Stormy is the right balance between the rich rum and spicy ginger beer. Gosling's Black Seal and Barritt's Ginger Beer, both from Bermuda, are the classic pairing (and in fact, Gosling's is the rum of record for this drink), but a funky dark rum and peppy ginger beer will marry beautifully as long as you're careful with your proportions. The lime isn't traditional, but it sure is tasty as far as I'm concerned. Cheers!

Image by Daniel Krieger.