Dark 'n Stormy

According to a Gosling's rum tale, the Dark 'n Stormy was invented more than 100 years ago when members of Bermuda's Royal Naval Officer's Club added a splash of the local rum to their spicy homemade ginger beer after World War I. They described its ominous hue as "the color of a cloud only a fool or dead man would sail under." Prepared in this manner and unstirred, the dark rum floats on top of the lighter ginger beer, resembling a looming storm cloud.

While the exact details of the drink's origin remain a bit murky, we can say for certain that it was indeed born in Bermuda. Today, the cocktail is enjoyed worldwide, but it does remain the national drink of Bermuda — officially or unofficially, depending on who you ask — along with the Rum Swizzle (yep, they have more than one national drink). Most notably, a true Dark 'n Stormy technically demands Gosling's Black Seal rum, per the company's 1991 trademark.

The Dark 'n Stormy is a close relative to the Moscow Mule, essentially replacing that drink's vodka with dark rum. While the lime juice in the recipe is optional, it is highly recommended for balancing out the sugar with a touch of tartness. The candied ginger slice is not imperative, either, but it does make for a lovely garnish.

If you do stray from Gosling's rum, we won't tell — but be sure to use another dark rum, not spiced. You'll definitely want to use ginger beer here as opposed to ginger ale. Whereas ginger ale is just soda water flavored with ginger syrup, ginger beer is actually brewed with ginger, providing the zingy bite necessary to stand up to the rum in the cocktail.