One of our favorite cocktails when we travel is the Dark ‘N’ Stormy.

If you take a beach vacation, you’re likely to find, as we did, that many of the cocktails offered are extremely fruity or overwhelmingly sweet.

The Dark ‘N’ Stormy is a perfect counter to that. It’s ginger-y and citrus rich with a smoky sweetness thanks to the dark rum that’s just right when you’re going to be in the sun.

If you want to make it even better, add beer!

We’ve found that adding a bit of your favorite citrus-forward IPA can amp up the flavor in this famous cocktail and add an additional twist and more aroma without adding any sweetness, something we gravitate towards as fans of dry finishes in beers.

If you enjoy hazy IPAs, often known for their “orange juice” citrus profiles and strong tropical leanings, they work very well in this beer cocktail. We’d suggest trying it with the latest in our rotating hazy IPA series Flocculation of Seagulls.

For an even more dry, boozy, and fruit-forward option, try it with Red Beard.

The recipe below will make two Dark ‘N’ “Beer” Stormy cocktails.

What you need

• 12-16 ounces of the IPA of your choice
• 4 ounces of dark rum of your choice
• 12 ounces of ginger beer
• Limes

How to make it

1. Prepare two glasses with ice
2. Split the ginger beer and IPA across both glasses
3. Squeeze in a slice or two of lime to taste
4. Pour in dark rum
5. Stir both gently to mix all the ingredients together
6. Enjoy!

And one more thing…

If you want even more smokiness and a greater depth of dark flavor here in lieu of the tropical or citrus notes, try a black IPA with a fruity or tropical hop lean.

Give this one a try when you are in the mood, and let us know how it turns out.