The Dark ‘N’ Stormy

The Dark ‘n Stormy® History & Heritage

You put a ® on it, because this is one of the only cocktails in the world that has a registered trademark, which means if you’re making a Dark ‘N’ Stormy, make sure there’s some Gosling’s in there.

The name is said to have originated when an old salt (seaman) observed that the rum floating on top of the ginger beer was the “colour of a cloud only a fool or a dead man would sail under”. It was trademarked by Goslings on the 9^th June 1980.

Malcolm Gosling, Gosling’s International Limited, President and CEO says: “The history surrounding the first creation of the Dark ‘n Stormy® goes back to the early 1920s and the British Officer’s Mess in Bermuda, who at the time were making their own ginger beer and decided it would benefit from an extra kick.  Our Goslings Black Seal rum was the obvious choice and the drink quickly caught on, gaining its special name due to its stormy appearance.  A century later, it’s still the much-loved national drink of Bermuda and continues to be distinctive because of the special Goslings Black Seal rum used in it.”

While in Europe, food and drink products can be granted Protected Designation of Origin and Protected Geographical Indication accreditation to stop them be appropriated, abused and mis-used, Bermuda has no such thing.

So in the 70s, when holidaymakers started flocking to this tropical paradise, discovering the famous Dark ‘n Stormy® cocktail and then recreating this unique drink back at home but with the wrong ingredients, something had to be done.

Step forward Goslings, Bermuda’s oldest business and producers of the prestigious Black Seal Rum, which plays such an integral part in the Dark ‘n Stormy®.

Malcolm adds: “With the popularity of Bermuda and the Dark ‘n Stormy® growing in the late 70s, we felt it was vital that we started the process of protecting our heritage around this special drink. At the time, we only really sold our rum in Bermuda so it was impossible for people to drink an authentic Dark ‘n Stormy® when they arrived home.  But as the drink’s celebrity grew, more and more bars started to include it on their menus but made it using other rums.  For us and the other 50,000 patriotic Bermudians, this was nothing short of sacrilege.  Fair enough, mix any rum and ginger beer you want but if it doesn’t have Goslings, don’t call it a Dark ‘n Stormy®! It would be the equivalent of using green tea with milk in a breakfast pot of tea in England.”

In response, Goslings began its export operations for the first time and on the 9^th June 1980, the Dark ‘n Stormy® was officially trademarked.  Fast forward over 40 years and the Goslings brand is now available in 40 countries around the world and the Dark ‘n Stormy® continues to be a bestseller in bars around the globe.