International Dark 'n Stormy Day

International Dark 'n Stormy Day celebrates the Dark 'n Stormy, a cocktail made with dark rum and ginger beer! Goslings, the maker of a dark rum called Black Seal Rum, as well as of ginger beers and tonic waters, is located in Bermuda, a British Overseas Territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Goslings has long sold their black rum—the recipe dates to 1806 and was originally called Old Rum. During World War I, they started selling it in Champagne bottles said to have come from the British Officer's Mess, and sealed the corks with black wax, so the rum started being called Black Seal Rum. (The Black Seal logo wasn't created until 1949.)

According to Goslings, the Dark 'n Stormy came to be in 1920 at a ginger beer factory in Bermuda run by the Royal Naval Officers Club. These sailors had been using ginger beer to combat seasickness and found that it mixed well with the local Black Seal Rum. An old sailor reputedly gave the cocktail its name when he said the drink was the “color of a cloud only a fool or dead man would sail under." The rum is considered the "dark," while the ginger beer is the "stormy."

The official Goslings recipe calls for two ounces of Goslings Black Seal Rum and six ounces of Goslings Stormy Ginger Beer. The ginger beer is poured over ice in a highball glass, and the rum is floated on top. (The person imbibing the drink stirs it.) A lime slice garnish is optional. Some recipes call for simple syrup or lime juice. Barritt's, a maker of ginger beer in Bermuda, has long been associated with the cocktail. The Dark 'n Stormy is similar to the Moscow mule, except rum replaces the vodka.

International Dark 'n Stormy Day was declared by Goslings to commemorate the cocktail's history, trademark, and popularity. According to Goslings, the Dark 'n Stormy "remains the drink of choice of the global boating and sailing community and is regarded as one of the most requested classic cocktails." Goslings has organized International Dark 'n Stormy Day events, and has also celebrated by offering discounts and recipes.

International Dark 'n Stormy Day takes place on June 9 because it was on that date in 1980 that the Gosling family registered a trademark for the Dark 'n Stormy in Bermuda, to ensure that authentic Dark 'n Stormy cocktails must include Goslings' Black Seal Rum. Dark 'n Stormy has been a registered trademark in the United States since 1991. The Dark 'n Stormy is one of the world's few trademarked cocktails, and Goslings is very protective of the trademark. The trademarked version of the name has one apostrophe before the "n," while an untrademarked version of the name, as used by the International Bartender Association, is written with two apostrophes around the "n," as the Dark 'n' Stormy.

The Dark 'n Stormy has become Bermuda's signature cocktail. There are variations on it, such as the cider and stormy—or dark 'n' stormy cider or dark and stormy orchard—made with dark rum, apple cider, and ginger beer, as well as the fall dark 'n' stormy, made with bourbon, apple cider, lemon juice, and ginger beer. In 2011, Goslings' Ready-to-Drink Dark 'n Stormy cans also made their debut, making it even easier to enjoy a Dark 'n Stormy on International Dark 'n Stormy Day or any day of the year.

How to Observe International Dark 'n Stormy Day

• Make yourself a Dark 'n Stormy. Make sure to use Goslings Black Seal Rum to make it an authentic Dark 'n Stormy. Pour it with Barritt's or Goslings ginger beer. You could use the Goslings recipe for the cocktail, or the recipe from the International Bartenders Association.
• Enjoy a can or two of Goslings' Ready-to-Drink Dark 'n Stormy.
• Try a variation on the cocktail, such as the cider and stormy or the fall dark 'n' stormy.
• Check for discounts and specials from Goslings in honor of the day, and check out the collection of products they created for the day.
• Plan a trip to the Goslings store in Hamilton, Bermuda.
• Use the hashtag #InternationalDarkNStormyDay with social media posts and tag @GoslingsRum to share how you are celebrating.

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