Here's a great recipe for those who enjoy having a nice gingery cocktail, but would like to cut back on the alcohol. This nonalcoholic Dark 'n Stormy is not only just as refreshing as the original, it also maintains its classic rum flavor, as well as its lovely “layered” feature.
Actually, the Dark ‘n Stormy got its name because of the combination of the dark (as in “dark rum”) layered on top of the stormy (the spicy “ginger beer”). People love this combination because it is very similar to the Moscow Mule, with its refreshing, gingery-rum flavors.
Maybe you’ve been celebrating a lot lately and want to take a break from alcohol, but still want to enjoy a nicely crafted drink. Hence, the nonalcoholic Dark ‘n Stormy. And while most versions keep it simple with just ginger beer and rum, this recipe adds some rich simple syrup (a simple syrup with a 2:1 sugar-to-water ratio) and lime juice to spruce it up a bit. Try it out and enjoy…cheers!
“I love a good Dark ‘n Stormy cocktail, but I think I love a good Dark ‘n Stormy mocktail even more because I can drink several in a row and not have to worry about the alcohol catching up with me. I had enough of the rich simple syrup left over to make additional mocktails.” —Diana Andrews
A Note From Our Recipe Tester
Ingredients
For the rich simple syrup
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1 cup granulated sugar
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1/2 cup water
For the Dark ‘n Stormy Mocktail
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1/2 ounce rich simple syrup (2:1)
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3/4 ounce fresh lime juice
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2 ounces ginger beer, preferably Fevertree
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2 ounces Lyre's Dark Cane Spirit
Steps to Make It
Make Rich Simple Syrup
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Gather the ingredients.
The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati
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Combine the sugar and water in a small pot and set over medium heat. Stir until sugar is fully dissolved.
The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati
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Pour into a container and chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. Use right away, or store in a sealed container for up to two weeks.
The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati
Mix Dark ‘n Stormy
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Gather the ingredients.
The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati
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Combine rich simple syrup, lime juice, and ginger beer in a tall collins glass. Stir and mix together for 10 seconds.
The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati
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Fill glass with ice and top with Lyre's nonalcoholic Dark Cane Spirit. Garnish with a skeleton leaf or lime wedge.
The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati
Recipe Tips
- If you’re going to make the alcoholic version, use just 0.25 ounces of the rich simple syrup, and top with Myer’s Dark Rum.
- Any ginger beer is great for this recipe, but Fevertree is not as spicy or as sweet as most.
- The skeleton leaf can be purchased online just by doing a search.
- Although this drink is served as a layered drink, you must serve it with a straw to mix everything together.
Recipe Variation
Swap out the ginger beer for Fevertree Cola to make a nonalcoholic Cuba Libré.
What is rich simple syrup?
Rich simple syrup is just like simple syrup, but it’s twice as sweet because of its 2:1 sugar-to-water ratio. Use this syrup whenever you want to amplify the flavors in a drink. Since the nonalcoholic spirit is less sweet than normal rum, the richer simple syrup helps make up for it in this Dark 'n Stormy mocktail.
