December 9, 2015 Advent with SusieJ

Dark and stormy

Marsha Wirtel, Hot Water Bath

I read a novel once in which the heroine's favored drink after a long day was described as including lime juice, dark rum, and ginger beer. It sounded delicious and I made a mental note to try it, but never did. Years later I was reading a cookbook - the best genre for relaxing, to my way of thinking - and came across a recipe which included those same ingredients, this time helpfully labeled as Dark and Stormy. A ha! That alluring concoction had a name, which I filed away for future reference.

Yet later still, I met a girlfriend for a drink in between dropping off one kid somewhere and picking up another kid somewhere else. She ordered one of these here Dark and Stormy drinks and I, knowing when the universe is sending me a signal, did the same. The first sip and I knew I never should have waited that long to try one. Now I mourn all that Dark and Stormy-less time.

I think that they're technically considered a spring beverage but the combination of spicy dark rum, citrus, and ginger really speak of the winter holidays to me. If one really wanted to bring that point home, sticking a few cloves into a lime wedge and throwing it into the ginger beer to steep a bit wouldn't go amiss.

• 1.5 oz dark rum
• the juice of half a lime, plus a slice for garnish if you'd like.
• 8 oz. ginger beer

Fill a large glass or mug with ice (crushed is nice, if you can get it) and pour the rum over. Squeeze the lime half right into the ice and rum and top off with the ginger beer.