What is the difference between a dark and stormy and a Moscow Mule? - 1st Principles Distilleries (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between a dark and stormy and a Moscow Mule? - 1st Principles Distilleries? ›

The dark and stormy co*cktail is traditionally made from dark rum and ginger beer, garnished with a slice of fresh lemon. Its famous competitor the moscow mule co*cktail uses vodka instead of rum, often a spicier ginger beer and lime juice. Both these co*cktails are best served in a tall high ball glass with lots of ice.

The Moscow mule, traditionally served in a copper mug, is made with vodka, ginger beer, and a squeeze of lime. The Dark and Stormy hails from Bermuda and combines Goslings dark rum, ginger beer, and lime. Our version uses bourbon (of course), which again is the perfect canvas to spotlight the delicious taste of ginger.

Mule. 16 ice cubes. 2 dl whisky (e.g. Talisker Storm) 4 tbsp maple syrup (e.g. Coop Naturaplan) 6 dl ginger beer.

Gosling's is a delicious rum, and being the dark rum from Bermuda, it is unquestionably synonymous with the dark 'n' stormy. But, any number of dark rums are interchangeably lovely in this drink, including Coruba, Zaya, Cruzan's Blackstrap and the Lemon Hart 151 from Guyana.

And so the Moscow Mule became the Snake Island Mule (with a line striking out “Moscow” for emphasis), and the Caipiroska — the Russian-ified name of the classic Brazilian drink the Caipirinha, when it's made with vodka instead of the traditional cachaça — was re-dubbed the Caipi Island.

Is a Moscow mule a girly drink or a manly drink? This is one of the things I love most about this co*cktail: anyone can enjoy it! It's often served in a masculine metal mug, and it's got a sharp bite to it, so it's perfect for guys. But it's also fizzy and a little sweet, so women really enjoy it too!

Somewhere amongst these celebrations the drink earned its rather ominous moniker when a sailor, allegedly, quipped that his drink was “the colour of a cloud only a fool or a dead man would sail under.” And that is how legends are born. Finally, the (patented) Dark 'n Stormy.

The difference between the Moscow Mule and the London Mule is that the latter contains gin instead of vodka, making for a typically drier co*cktail, and also introducing various new flavour elements. Vodka has a neutral taste, so the spirit adds nothing to the overall flavour of a Moscow Mule.

While every bar is unique, the most popular Mule iterations are the Moscow Mule, the Kentucky Mule, the Gin Gin Mule (a.k.a. the Gin Buck), and the Mexican Mule.

What beer is best for dark and stormy? ›

Your ginger beer needs to be good quality, quite dry and spicy. We've used Fever Tree, or Fentimans is another good option.

How strong is it and where Sunset rum made? The strongest Rum on the list St Vincent's Sunset Rum has an alcohol strength of 84.5% ABV. This White Rum is molasses based and distilled using the column still method.

The dark and stormy co*cktail is traditionally made from dark rum and ginger beer, garnished with a slice of fresh lemon. Its famous competitor the moscow mule co*cktail uses vodka instead of rum, often a spicier ginger beer and lime juice. Both these co*cktails are best served in a tall high ball glass with lots of ice.

The best ginger beer for Moscow mules is Fever-Tree brand ginger beer. Mara said, “It tastes the most like a Moscow mule,” and I wholeheartedly agreed. Fever-Tree's ginger beer has the most clear and pronounced fresh ginger flavor, thanks to a blend of three gingers from Nigeria, Cochin and the Ivory Coast.

In addition to these, the Moscow Mule has cousins from all over the world. If you like the idea of a Moscow Mule made with tequila instead of vodka, you can try a Mexican Mule (recipe courtesy of Difford's Guide), and if bourbon is more your style, there's also a Kentucky Mule (recipe by Liquor).

Neat rum is tasty, but on a hot day in Bermuda a splash of ginger beer and perhaps the luxury of a few ice cubes clinking in your tankard would have far greater appeal. As to the name? That apparently comes from an unknown sailor quipping the drink was “the colour of a cloud only a fool or a dead man would sail under”.

American Mule

Using Tito's Texas-made vodka makes this an American version of the classic Moscow mule. Be sure to buy ginger beer, not ginger ale – it has a much stronger, spicier flavor.

Technically, a buck is any mix of ginger ale (or ginger beer), citrus juice and a spirit. The Dark 'n Stormy is a famous variation, one that's popular enough that it has its own name—normally, a buck is simply named after whatever spirit goes into it.