Ranging in color from deep caramel to rich ebony, dark rums are made to mimic the flavor and appearance of their long-aged brethren—those bottles that spend months or years resting in oak before coming to market.
Generally composed of long-aged rum blended with thick and sweet blackstrap molasses and/or caramel, they are far from mere simulacra. In his book, Smuggler’s Cove: Exotic Cocktails, Rum, and the Cult of Tiki, rum expert Martin Cate says that molasses or caramel added to black rums yields a finished product “typically much darker in appearance than even 50 years in a barrel could achieve.”
This style is big and robust, often with strong molasses flavors. Aromas tend to include toffee, maple syrup and black licorice as well as espresso, smoke, fennel, black pepper or bitter chocolate.
These bold and high-proof rums aren’t for everyone, but they add unparalleled complexity and weight to cocktails, like a classic Dark ‘n’ Stormy, mai tai or Jungle Bird.
Whether you want to add a dash to one of these traditional recipes or try something new and inventive, we’ve got you covered with eight of the best dark rum cocktails rife for experimentation.
The Dark ‘n’ Stormy
Legend has it the Dark ‘n’ Stormy was invented in the early 1900s on the sun-soaked coasts of Bermuda, shipwreck capital of the world, when a British naval officer mixed dark rum with ginger beer. Whether that’s true or not, we don’t know for sure—but we do know it’s darn good.
The Mai Tai
The mai tai, a combination of white rum, dark rum, triple sec, almond-based orgeat syrup and fresh lime juice, is one of the most famous tropical cocktails on the planet for a good reason.
The Southern Toast
At heart, this is a rum-based Old Fashioned. But rather than fruit muddled in, this drink gets its subtle cherry flavor thanks to rinsing the glass with a slightly almondy maraschino liqueur.
The Tom and Jerry
During blustery Midwestern winters, these warm egg nog-like cocktails are a holiday staple. Mugs of velvety egg batter are spiked with hot rum and brandy, then topped with hot water or milk and finished with baking spices such as cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg.
The Painkiller
Essentially a piña colada with dark rum rather than light along with orange juice and a dusting of freshly grated nutmeg, this tropical classic has been a longstanding bartender favorite.
The Rum Old Fashioned
Swapping out the bourbon or rye whiskey for a combination of dark and navy-strength rum, this cocktail offers a molasses-inflected, tropical take on a beloved classic.
The Jungle Bird
This old time classic was rediscovered by Jeff “Beachbum” Berry in the back of John J. Poister’s The New American Bartender's Guide during the mid-aughts cocktail renaissance. The Italian-infused tiki-style drink gets its signature sweet-bitter flavor profile from the combination of pineapple juice and aperitivo, which are accented by dark rum, simple syrup and an excessively large bunch of mint.
