The “Dark and Stormy” one of our favorite cocktails

When it gets to be late winter I start dreaming of summer afternoons on the deck. In order to be ready for summer, I usually start making Dark and Stormys in February. This is one of my favorite summer sippers. It is a very simple drink to make and It's refreshing and interesting. Everyone I have introduced this drink to has thanked me. I do not substitute any ingredients on this recipe!

If you shop in Bloomington, you will find all the ingredients in aisle 7 on the top shelf.

Here’s the recipe:

In a highball glass with ice mix

2 oz Gosling's® Black Seal rum
8 oz ginger beer

Garnish with a lime wedge and enjoy!

Appleton Estate V/X Rum Review

Tyler Opitz

Let me start off by saying this is the best value rum I have ever tried.  I, like most, had only experienced Bacardi and Captain Morgan and they had both suited me fine, up until this point.  The benefit of the Appleton Estate however, is its balance and ability to accentuate other flavors that are blended with it.  The rum itself “is a blend of 15 different rums, all aged between five and ten years in used Jack Daniel’s oak casks. (rumdood.com)” This creates very balanced rum that has an amber color right between white rum and dark rum.  The smell from the V/X is sweet with brown sugar and maple being the forefront of what I noticed.  However it has also been described as having “strong fruity notes of banana and orange peel, as well as molasses.  There’s a bit of a coppery scent riding on top of the other smells as well.  On the whole, the nose is full and powerful, very Jamaican. (rumdood.com)” The taste however, was very different.  It wasn’t overly sweet like Captain Morgan sometimes can be, but was instead fruity and nutty with some of the vanilla/sugar coming through.  I would recommend this rum to anyone trying to find something new that works incredibly well when mixed, (it’s slightly too harsh to be a sipping rum) but still won’t break the bank.  At around 20$ bucks it does just that.

Try some of these recipes

Jamaican Mule                                                                         

Fill a lowball glass with ice

1.5 oz Appleton Estate Rum

Fill with Ginger Beer (Located at Cheers Wine and Spirits)

Elusive Redhead
1 ½ oz. Appleton Estate V/X Jamaica Rum
3 oz. Bloody Mary Mix (Try using your normal favorite or Zing Zang bloody mary mix located at Cheers)

Jamaican Ecstasy

In a highball glass, pour rum and cranberry juice over ice. Slowly add orange juice and garnish with an orange wedge.
1 ½ oz. Appleton Estate V/X Jamaica Rum
2 ½ oz. Cranberry Juice
3 ½ oz. Orange Juice

Classic Mojito

Add mint, ice and sugar into a Collins glass and muddle.  Then add the rum and lime juice and top with soda water.

1 teaspoon powdered sugar
Juice from 1 lime (2 ounces)
4 mint leaves
1 sprig of mint
Appleton Estate V/X Rum (2 ounces)
2 ounces club soda