Dark ’n’ Stormy Mocktail

By Rebekah Peppler

Published June 15, 2022

Dark ’n’ Stormy Mocktail
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist; Simon Andrews.
Rating
4(348)
Comments
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Strongly brewed black tea anchors this nonalcoholic take on a classic Dark ’n’ Stormy, lending its rich tannins to the final drink. When choosing a black tea, look to Darjeeling, English or Irish breakfast, or Assam. (For something without caffeine, reach for buckwheat tea and increase the brew time to 20 minutes.) The spices in the salted lime cordial are easily shifted to your pantry and preferences. If you don’t have ground ginger, totally fine. If you want to add cardamom, go for it. The point is to infuse the cordial with a warmth that complements the ginger beer’s sharp spice. Please don’t, however, skip the salt. The hit of salinity enhances the cordial’s flavors. Leftover cordial — sweet, spiced and deeply sour, can be mixed on its own with sparkling water or tonic or, if you’re looking to incorporate it into an alcoholic drink, into a gimlet.

Featured in: For Summertime Mocktails That Shine, Look to Tea

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Ingredients

Yield:1 serving

    For the Salted Lime Cordial

    • Finely grated zest from 6 limes
    • 1cup granulated sugar
    • 1teaspoon flaky sea salt
    • ¼teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • ¼teaspoon ground ginger
    • ¼teaspoon black pepper 
    • ⅛teaspoon ground cloves 
    • 1¼cups fresh lime juice (from about 6 limes)

    For the Chilled Black Tea

    • 2black tea bags (or 2 tablespoons loose-leaf black tea), such as Darjeeling

    For the Cocktail

    • Ice
    • 3ounces Chilled Black Tea
    • 1ounce Salted Lime Cordial
    • 4ounces fresh ginger beer
    • Lime wedge
Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Make the cordial: In a medium bowl, combine the lime zest, sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger, pepper and cloves. Use your fingers to rub the zest and spices into the sugar until the sugar is green and very fragrant. Slowly pour in the lime juice, whisking to combine and dissolve the sugar completely. Cover and refrigerate for at least 12 hours, up to 24. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve; pressing on the solids. (You should have about 1½ cups cordial.) Discard the solids, and keep the cordial in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

  2. Step 2

    Make the chilled black tea: In a tea kettle or small saucepan over high heat, bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Remove from the heat, add the tea. Allow to steep for 10 minutes, then remove the tea bags or, if using loose-leaf tea, strain through a fine-mesh sieve and set aside to cool completely, then refrigerate. Keep it chilled in the refrigerator, tightly covered in an airtight container, for up to 5 days.

  3. Step 3

    Make the cocktail: Fill a highball glass with ice. Add the tea and cordial. Top with ginger beer, stir gently to combine and finish with a lime wedge.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
348 user ratings
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Comments

Grace C.

I added a tablespoon of black strap molasses to my salty lime cordial to give it a little bit more depth and I HIGHLY recommend it if you like the sweet, dark, round taste of rum and have a really spicy ginger ale that can stand up to the flavor.

Kageorge

Renamed: The Darjeeling Limited

Suzanne F

Not sure what you mean by "fresh ginger beer." Homemade? If so, a link to a recipe would be helpful. Or if store-bought bottled is okay, can you please suggest some brands?

Melissa

This? This was DELIGHTFUL. I’ve always loved a Dark & Stormy (long a fan of all things GINGER). This is the first N/A cocktail that I’ve made that tastes as good as the real thing. I used a Republic of Tea blend — ginger-peach — that was perfect for this application. The salted lime cordial, which makes enough to make 5 or 6 drinks, is absolutely delicious. SUPER limey and punchy. Put both in the shaker, poured over ice, and topped with Fever-Tree Ginger Beer. Tart, sweet, spicy perfection, and will be a hit at our July 4 gathering!

Martha

This makes a Delicious, nicely balanced drink. I used fresh grated ginger in place of powdered in the cordial, Chai tea (unsweetened) in place of plain black, and Q ginger beer.

Hope

Tried what some of the notes suggested and removed some of the sugar for molasses (maybe 1/4 c. Sugar for 1 tablespoon of molasses). Turned out fantastic!!

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