dark and stormy

recipes

Beat the Heat With a Tamarind Dark and Stormy

Concocting an elaborate cocktail can be almost as fun as sipping and savoring it, but when temperatures blaze, dead-simple is the way to go.

Concocting an elaborate cocktail can be almost as fun as sipping and savoring it, but when temperatures blaze, dead-simple is the way to go. Case in point: this tangy, tamarind-spiked dark and stormy, which despite its exotic upgrade manages to clock in at a mere four ingredients, no shaker needed.

The only (debatable) downside? Its alcohol content is knocked down a notch by the addition of tamarind drinking vinegar — a "problem" easily alleviated by swapping alcoholic ginger beer for a boozier kick. On the flip side, when made with classic ginger beer, the lighter tipple is more day-drinking friendly than its full-strength classic forebearer.

Keep reading for the refreshing recipe.

recipes

Come Party With Me: End of Summer BBQ — Drinks

From kalimotxo to caipirinhas to sangria, I've made a lot of interesting cocktails this Summer.

From kalimotxo to caipirinhas to sangria, I've made a lot of interesting cocktails this Summer. One I haven't enjoyed, yet, I plan on serving them at my End of Summer barbecue, is the dark and stormy.

A refreshing mixture of rich, dark rum, and fizzy, slightly spicy ginger beer, the dark and stormy is a classic cocktail. Don't be fooled by the ginger beer, it's actually not beer, but a nonalcoholic, super-flavorful, incredibly fizzy ginger ale that can be found at Whole Foods.

I'll also have chilled wine, beer, and sodas for those who choose to imbibe something other than rum. To check out the recipe for the dark and stormy, read more

Thanksgiving

Come Party With Me: My First Thanksgiving — Drinks

Since this is your first Thanksgiving, don't go overboard offering guests an open bar.

Since this is your first Thanksgiving, don't go overboard offering guests an open bar. Instead, serve beer, wine, champagne, and one specialty cocktail. A few weeks before the dinner, head to your local wine shop or Trader Joe's. Talk with the owner or the store's sommelier. Explain that you are hosting your first Thanksgiving and want a couple of bottles of wine for dinner. Tell him how many people will be in attendance and what you are serving. Zinfandel and Beaujolais pair wonderfully with turkey and a good bottle of bubbly makes for a festive cocktail with appetizers. If you prefer to pour white wine serve a Chenin Blanc, Riesling, or Gewurtraminer.

Have lots of sparkling and still water on hand, and be sure to set water glasses on the table. If you know your dad only drinks Tanqueray and tonic, tell him to bring his own supplies. Otherwise offer guests a dark and stormy to sip while they wait for the turkey to cook. Get the recipe to this classic cocktail, just read more

Cocktails

Dark and Stormy: Cheers to the Winter Solstice

Happy Winter Solstice! Today is the shortest day of the year (or the longest day of the year if you are in the Southern hemisphere).

Happy Winter Solstice! Today is the shortest day of the year (or the longest day of the year if you are in the Southern hemisphere). I love to make a meal that pertains to it being the longest, darkest day of the year. Soups, stews, and chilis are totally necessary tonight. As are a warm fire and a big blanket. I love to test out new cocktail recipes at home with my hubby. In honor of today being the darkest day of the year-and maybe even in some places stormy-I'm shaking up a cocktail called a Dark and Stormy. To mix this at your home and drink it in front of your fireplace, read more