When I’ve made my first batch of ginger beer, I realized that I hardly ever drink it neat. It was too dry and burning for me. But there was an advantage – I could give a try to cocktails based on ginger beer, at last!
At first I’ve tried Dark and Stormy cocktail, a powerful combination of dark rum and spicy ginger beer.
Bermuda’s national drink, Dark and Stormy is deeply rooted in the traditional daily portions of rum served out in British Navy. The cocktail calls for Bermudian Gosling’s Black Seal Rum and local ginger beer. Very strict conditions, isn’t it?
Unfortunately Bermudian rum and ginger beer are all unavailable in Russia so that’s why I made my ginger beer and here the cause why I’m forced to use Jamaican rum instead of Gosling’s Black Seal Rum.
I’m understand that my Dark and Stormy maybe isn’t too dark and stormy but the desire to taste something like it was stronger.
I’ve made my Dark and Stormy using David Wondrich’s recipe (which is very close to Gary Regan’s recipe).
Dark and Stormy
- 60 ml Appleton Estate V/X Rum,
- 90 ml homemade ginger beer,
- 15 ml fresh lime juice,
- 2 dash Demerara sugar syrup.
Build over ice. Garhish with a lime wheel.
Hmmm… Definitely this drink is something special. Strong rum flavour benefits by warm ginger spiciness and light citrus hint of lime juice. The taste a bit unusual for me. I’m just not used to such spicy kick but now start to getting into it. The way how dark rum’s molasses and pepper notes combine with strong ginger is really nice. Mild citrus adds some hints of gingerbread in the aftertaste, that’s another advantage for my opinion.
Lacking authentic rum and ginger beer, eventually I’ve ended my Dark and Stormy experience. But not for long – the next cocktail with ginger beer I’ve selected was The Highland Fizz from Drambuie website. It looks like my Dark and Stormy cocktail with an ounce of Drambuie liqueur added.
The Highland Fizz
- ¾ part Drambuie (30 ml Drambuie),
- ¾ part Bacardi Gold Rum (30 ml Angostura 5yo Rum),
- 1 dash fresh lime juice (5 ml fresh lime juice),
- 1 dash Angostura bitters (2 dash Angostura aromatic bitters)
- 1 – ½ part authentic ginger beer (60 ml homemade ginger beer).
Build over ice in a tall glass.
I have doubts of the way how weakened rum can compete against equal part of liqueur. Well, ginger beer has helped rum to resist Drambuie sweetness. The cocktail is much sweeter than my Dark and Stormy but excessive sweetness was hidden behind raised spiciness boosted by anise, saffron, cardamom, nutmeg and others from Drambuie bouquet.
That was a quite surprise for me to get such spicy drink. All the time the cocktail was on the sweet side but ginger and spices made it deeper and added some sharpness.
I can’t say that The Highland Fizz brought something excerptional but I’m really enjoyed it.
Boukman Daiquiri 
The Transfiguration Day 
