Review: Gosling’s Stormy Ginger Beer
The canonical recipe for the Dark & Stormy cocktail calls for Gosling’s Black Seal Rum and Barritts Ginger Beer. The folks at Gosling’s are no fools though — they figure they can horn in on the other half of the D&S equation by making the ginger beer as well. To wit, they’ve spent the last year perfecting their own ginger beer recipe, with a specific eye toward making a companion for Black Seal to be used in this classic mixed drink.
The tagline “a refreshing zip of ginger” is wholly appropriate: This is a classic ginger beer, nicely sweet on first sip then bracing with a hefty dose of fresh ginger flavor. The bite is moderate to strong but fades quickly. It really is just right: Several steps above a regular ginger ale, but not overpowering like too many ginger beer brands which are busy trying to impress you with how much ginger root they can cram into the bottle. Carbonation level is spot-on, too.
Just now trickling onto the market. Give it a try if you find it — available exclusively in 12-oz. cans.
A / price TBD / goslingsrum.com
May 30th, 2009 at 10:50 pm
Tried my first dark and stormy a couple of years back … Gosling’s rum is pretty solid.
May 31st, 2009 at 12:19 pm
If it is easier to find than Barritt’s then it will be a welcome addition.
There is only one distributor nearby that sells Barritt’s. But as long as they carry it, it will be my ginger beer of choice.
June 29th, 2009 at 8:09 am
Gosling has entered into an agreement with Polar Beverages of Massachusetts, USA to produce their new label ginger beer. I’m not privy to the reason that Gosling dropped Barritts, but Polar will have a strong distribution line in North East USA at least.
June 29th, 2009 at 11:34 am
Barritt’s is now available in bottles as well as cans. D&G (makers of Red Stripe Beer) Old Jamaica Ginger Beer is also very good. Regatta Ginger Beer is popular. Reed’s is available in several variations of sweetness and heat, including Reed’s Extra with plenty of heat. Blue Sky’s Jamaican Ginger Ale is popular in Miami. Stewart’s has more kick.
July 4th, 2009 at 9:38 am
I have not tried the new Stormy Ginger Beer, but it sounds like the Original Metro Stone Ginger Beer. Metro and Barritts were competing Ginger Beers. Metro had more Bite (Ginger taste) to it and Barritts was milder and sweeter. Metro’s Ginger Beer was the best for D&S, but was not widely available outside of Bermuda. Barritts bought out Metro, and added the “stone ground” to its label. Hopefully the Stormy Ginger Beer will be as widely available as Black Seal Rum is available now.
July 8th, 2009 at 1:26 pm
I found the Goslings GB last night. It has a ‘dusty’ taste that I do not like but am fond of it’s spice kick. Maybe it needs to be blended with some Barritts? Either way, I’m looking forward to some taste testing.
About a year and half ago I spoke to Bruce Barritt on the phone. He answered it when I called looking for Barritts. He told me they had left the guy they had been using (he now makes Regatta) and went with a maker outta Jacksonville, FL. That may have prompted Goslings to go looking.
For a Barritts / Regatta comparison go here:
http://thetrad.blogspot.com/2009/05/friday-belt-london-with-sun.html
July 11th, 2009 at 10:39 am
Are where exactly can I get this in Ireland?
My favourite drink with my name on it – it must be fate!
November 17th, 2009 at 7:17 pm
We have been to Bermuda 7 times and love making and drinking Dark & Stormy’s. We usually use Barritts (which we stock up on every time we go). I recently found Goslings rendition of ginger beer in the USA. I personally don’t like it as much as the Barritts; the ginger is too overpowering. The Barritts is more subtle.
January 12th, 2010 at 11:34 am
try Regatta – most people like it better than the Barritts we used to make.