Tropical Storm

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The Tropical Storm is a fruit-forward highball that floats Gosling's Black Seal black rum over a bright mix of tonic water and passion fruit juice. The dark rum drifts down through the pale, fizzy fruit like a squall rolling in over a calm sea, which is where the name comes from. It is light, tangy and just bitter enough, and it takes about thirty seconds to make. If the Dark and Stormy is Bermuda's winter storm, this is its summer one.

What Is a Tropical Storm?

The build is an ounce and a half of black rum, four ounces of tonic water and an ounce of passion fruit juice, served over ice in a tall glass with a pineapple wedge. The tonic and juice are stirred together first, then the rum is floated on top so it layers, exactly like the Black Seal float in a Dark 'n' Stormy. Gosling's designed it around its own tropical tonic water and suggests a bottled passion fruit juice such as Ceres, but any good tonic and any unsweetened passion fruit juice or purée will work.

Origin and History

Gosling's has been distilling in Bermuda since 1806, and its Black Seal rum earned its name from the black wax seal on the original champagne-bottle packaging. For most of the twentieth century the brand's identity was tied to a single drink, the Dark 'n' Stormy, which it trademarked in 1991. In recent years the company has expanded into mixers and published a series of simple builds that show Black Seal beyond ginger beer. The Tropical Storm is one of these, drawing on the long tradition of Caribbean rum punches that pair dark rum with tropical fruit, such as the Planter's Punch and the Rum Punch, but stripped down to a two-mixer highball.

Flavor Profile and What to Expect

Passion fruit leads: tart, floral and intensely tropical. The tonic adds quinine bitterness and fizz that keep the fruit from tasting like juice. Then the rum sinks in with molasses, caramel and a faint smoky note, and the drink turns richer with every sip. It is medium-light in strength and refreshingly dry for a fruit drink. Compared with a Hurricane, which also leans on passion fruit, it is far less sweet and much easier to drink two of; compared with a rum and tonic it is fruitier and more colorful.

Choosing the Rum and Juice

Gosling's Black Seal is the intended rum and its rounded molasses profile is ideal here. Cruzan Black Strap makes a heavier, more savory version. A Jamaican black rum such as Myers's brings extra fruit. For the passion fruit, unsweetened juice or a frozen purée gives the best tartness; sweetened nectars work but reduce the tonic. Our rum cocktail guide covers the styles.

The Float

Pour the rum slowly over the back of a spoon so it rests on the surface. It will sink gradually, and the first sips will be rum-forward. Stir if you prefer it even. The layered look is half the appeal, so pour it in front of guests.

Popular Variations

Add half an ounce of lime juice for extra sharpness. Swap the tonic for ginger beer to make a passion fruit Dark and Stormy. Use passion fruit syrup and a full squeeze of lime instead of juice for a more cocktail-like build in the spirit of the Passion Fruit Mojito. Split the passion fruit with pineapple juice for a sweeter, punch-style version close to a Rum Sunset. Add a dash of Angostura bitters for spice. For a bigger crowd, build it in a pitcher without the rum and let guests float their own. The Difford's Guide black rum collection has more long drinks in the same family.

How to Serve It

Fill a tall glass with plenty of ice, add the tonic and juice, float the rum and garnish with a pineapple wedge. Keep the tonic and juice refrigerated so the drink stays fizzy. See our ice guide for why large cubes matter in highballs.

Food Pairings

It pairs with grilled fish, shrimp skewers, jerk chicken, coconut rice and fruit salsas. The tartness also makes it a good match for spicy Thai and Caribbean dishes.

Batching for a Party

For eight drinks, stir 32 ounces of tonic water and 8 ounces of passion fruit juice together in a pitcher and keep it cold. Pour over ice and float an ounce and a half of black rum on each glass as you serve, so the layered look and the fizz are fresh for every guest. Adding the rum to the pitcher works too, but you lose the float.

A Note on Passion Fruit

Fresh passion fruit pulp, strained of seeds, gives the most vivid flavor if you can find ripe fruit. Frozen purée is the next best thing and keeps for months. Bottled juice varies widely in sweetness, so taste it first and adjust the tonic to keep the drink dry.

When to Drink It

This is a beach drink, a pool drink and a summer barbecue drink, light enough for the afternoon and pretty enough for a party. Browse more tropical highballs in our drink categories.

Why People Love It

It delivers tropical flavor without tiki-bar sweetness, it looks dramatic in the glass, and it takes almost no effort. It is also a reminder that black rum, so often treated as a winter spirit, is at its best with sun, ice and fruit. Three ingredients and a pineapple wedge: the Tropical Storm is summer in a highball.