While the dark ‘n’ stormy highball cocktail is known for its simplicity, its ingredients, even though there are only a few, can still be adjusted to give the imbiber something extra to talk about.
Tossing overboard the old adage that loose lips sink ships is PORT Waterfront Bar & Grill in Greenport, which has tongues wagging with its take on the drink first mixed in Bermuda after World War I.
“PORT in a storm is a classically made dark ‘n’ stormy,” says Alison Bavaro, owner of PORT Waterfront Bar & Grill, which offers a range of fresh seafood and pub fare, wine, and cocktails. “A longtime favorite of baymen, sailors, and landlubbers alike, the drink pays homage to the long and storied sailing and fishing industries that make Greenport so special. We renamed it PORT in a storm as a play on words with the name of the restaurant, and as a nod to that special feeling you get when enjoying a cocktail after a long day — after you’ve ‘survived the storm.’”
The base spirit in PORT in a storm is Goslings Black Seal Dark Rum, the key ingredient in any dark ‘n’ stormy. But what gives this particular dark ‘n’ stormy its distinct taste is the brand of ginger beer used.
“After much taste-testing and experimenting, we concluded that Barritt’s is the best ginger beer for the cocktail,” she says. “Fresh and spicy and not too sweet. We top it with a thick wedge of lime.”
She describes the cocktail as “classic, refreshing; the spicy ginger beer leaves your tongue tingling, but the dark rum smooths out the edges.”
“This drink definitely packs a punch,” Bavaro adds.
If imbibers are looking for something familiar yet surprising, PORT in a storm is only one of the many cocktails to try at PORT Waterfront Bar & Grill this summer.
“People who drink dark ‘n’ stormies are fanatical and particular about the cocktail,” she says. “We’ve been told [that] ours is perfectly balanced and uses the finest selection of ingredients.”
PORT Waterfront Bar & Grill is located at 104 3rd St. in Greenport. It can be reached at 631-333-2501 or portbarandgrill.com
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