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Papua New GuineaFlavors · Bermuda
Dark rum poured over ginger beer with ice in a tall glass, garnished with a slice of lime. The rum floats on top as a dark cloud, which gives the drink its name. Called the national drink of Bermuda, it is a trademark of the Gosling family, who require their Black Seal rum in the recipe.
Traditional drink from Bermuda
Also known as: Dark and Stormy, Dark 'n' Stormy, Dark & Stormy
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
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Dark 'n Stormy — Bermuda
The Dark 'n Stormy has only two main ingredients: ginger beer and dark rum. The ginger beer goes in first, in a tall glass filled with ice, and the rum is poured slowly on top. It floats and forms a dark layer over the lighter drink, like a storm cloud. The drink is then stirred, creating the cloud-like appearance. A slice of lime may accompany it.
The story is told by the Gosling family, who blend and sell rum in Bermuda. According to them, the drink originated after World War I at a ginger-beer factory linked to the Royal Navy officers’ club, whose members discovered that the local rum paired well with the beverage. The name, again according to the family, came from an old fisherman who compared the drink’s color to a cloud under which only a fool or a dead man would go to sea.
The rum is Gosling’s Black Seal. The family’s history on the islands begins in 1806, when James Gosling, son of a London wine merchant, was bound for America and, after 91 days of calm at sea, landed at St. George’s. The family later opened a shop on Front Street in Hamilton and began blending their own rum in the 19th century. The name Black Seal comes from the black wax used to seal the bottles.
The Gosling family registered Dark 'n Stormy as a trademark and maintains that only the drink made with Black Seal may use that name. The cocktail name is trademarked; that protection does not extend to any rum-and-ginger-beer mix. In Bermuda it is served in bars, restaurants, and parties and is called the national drink, a title it shares with the Rum Swizzle.
Bermuda
Called the national drink of Bermuda; the rum in the recipe has been blended on the islands since the 19th century.
Gosling’s Black Seal dark rum, ginger beer, ice, and a slice of lime.
In a tall glass with ice: ginger beer first, then the rum on top; stir until it has a cloud-like appearance. Lime is optional.
Year-round, in bars, restaurants, and parties.
Your questions
It is a cocktail of dark rum poured over ginger beer with ice in a tall glass, served with lime. The rum stays on top and forms a dark layer, like a storm cloud.
The name is trademarked by the Gosling family of Bermuda, who require their Black Seal rum in the recipe. Drinks made with another rum cannot use the name in markets where the trademark applies.
According to the Gosling family, an old fisherman compared the drink’s color to a cloud under which only a fool or a dead man would go to sea. This account is told by the family and has no independent record.
Flavors of Bermuda
The Bermudian Christmas pie: a dense dough made from grated cassava with butter, eggs, sugar and spices, baked slowly with a filling of chicken, pork or both. Sweet and savory at the same time, it is eaten hot or cold during the holidays.
The traditional Sunday breakfast in Bermuda: salted cod cooked, potatoes, onion, banana, a boiled egg and avocado on the same plate, with tomato sauce or melted butter with onion on top.
Codfish cakes made with mashed potato, onion and herbs, fried until golden. They are eaten year-round, and on Good Friday they’re served inside hot cross buns, the sweet spiced rolls marked with a cross, while kites fill the islands’ skies.
Fish soup with tomato, potato, onion, carrot, bell pepper and celery, seasoned and slowly cooked. It is considered Bermuda’s national dish, and at the table each person adds dark rum and sherry-pepper sauce.
Fried seasoned fish fillets with tartar sauce, served between raisin bread slices. If ordered “the works,” it comes with lettuce, tomato, grilled onion, cheese, hot sauce and coleslaw. Served across the island at kiosks and restaurants.
Cocktail of dark and gold rum with orange and pineapple juices, lime, falernum and bitters, shaken in a pitcher until foamy, coral in color.
