Why Dark ‘n Stormy® is the World’s Most Protected Cocktail

In the world of mixology, there are pretty interesting cocktails that have been considered crowd favorites—but there are also some that have been extremely controversial, such as the Gosling Brothers’ Dark ‘n Stormy. 

Like sharks in the water, the Gosling brothers are known to sue any offending restaurant that serves a “Dark ‘n Stormy” without their signature black rum. After all, they say that it’s not authentic without their rum. So why is this cocktail so aggressively protected?

In this article, you will not only learn how to make a Dark ‘n Stormy but you will also learn about why this trademarked concoction is considered one of the world’s most protected cocktail. 

Brief history of the Dark ‘n Stormy

There are many sotries about this cocktail—each time, it is told quite differently but it only adds to the legend of this drink. One story is that around the time of World War I, a sailor enjoyed his own homemade ginger beer and figured that the Black Seal rum would go perfect with it, and it did! 

Another story is that an old sailor got mad because he was tricked into a glass of ginger beer when he was originally asking for rum. So the bar keep poured some Black Seal rum on top.  The sailor then stared at the cocktail and drunkenly compared it’s dark hue to a “colour of a cloud only a fool or a dead man would sail under”—and the Dark ‘n Stormy was born. 

With only three main ingredients, it is not hard to make this cocktail, but if you own a bar or if you plan to sell this cocktail, you have to make sure it uses the Gosling Brothers’ signature Black Seal Rum. You may choose to use another dark rum but beware as this company is known to take anyone who does this to court.

The controversy behind trademarked cocktails

A lot of mixologists frown upon trademarked cocktails because they think that it limits creativity in mixing drinks, which is the heart of the practice of mixology. But their opinions haven’t stopped the bermuda-based company from suing everybody that messes with their signature drink. 

Despite the interesting lore behind the drink, it was only officially registered as a trademark in 1991 in the United States and is considered as the national drink of Bermuda. According to the owner and manufacturer, Gosling Brothers’, it’s not about the money, it’s all about the legacy of their drink and that other companies attempting to profit off that will ruin it. 

How to make a Dark ‘n Stormy

Here is the simple recipe of the controversially (and not to mention heavily guarded) cocktail. 

Ingredients:

1.5 oz Gosling’s Black Seal Rum 

Gosling’s Stormy Ginger Beer

Lime Wedges (optional)

Procedure:

In a tall glass filled with ice add 4 to 5 oz of Gosling’s Stormy Ginger Beer, then pour the Gosling’s Black Seal Rum. 

Top it off with a lime wedge—but only if you want to.

Enjoy!