Dark —n Stormy — The Long Afternoon on the Patio

Early September. Week two. We won, twenty-eight to fourteen, on the road. Marcus had two TDs. The defense gave up two scores but otherwise dominated. Calvin had two more sacks. The team is two and oh.

Diego called Sunday. He had played in his first college scrimmage Saturday — not a real game, just a controlled scrimmage against the practice squad. He had two catches. He felt fine. He was learning the playbook. He said, "Dad. The offense is way more complex than ours was." I said, "Yes it is. And you are going to learn it." He said, "I will."

Lisa has been adjusting. The empty-er nest has been harder on her than it has been on me, partly because I have the season as a distraction and she has the same job she had before but with one fewer kid to come home to. She has been quiet at dinner. She has been sleeping more. She has been on the patio with a book in the afternoons.

Saturday I made pulled chicken on the smoker. Lisa was off. We had a quiet day. The twins were at a soccer tournament. Sofia was at her workout. Lisa and I sat on the patio with the smoker behind us for four hours, the smell of apple wood and chicken and chile in the air. We did not talk much. We did not need to. The road bends. Feed your people. The game is won at the table.

Four hours is a long time to tend a smoker, and Lisa and I needed something cold in our hands that didn’t demand anything of us — no conversation, no occasion, just presence. A Dark ’n Stormy is exactly that kind of drink: two ingredients, a squeeze of lime, done. We made a couple before the chicken came off, sat in the chairs with the smoke behind us, and let the afternoon move at its own pace. Sometimes the recipe that fits the moment isn’t the one on the smoker.

Dark ’n Stormy

Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 0 minutes | Total Time: 5 minutes | Servings: 1

Ingredients

• 2 oz dark rum (Gosling’s Black Seal recommended)
• 4 to 5 oz ginger beer, chilled
• 1/2 oz fresh lime juice
• 1 lime wedge, for garnish
• Ice

Instructions

1. Fill the glass. Fill a highball glass with ice to the top.
2. Add the ginger beer. Pour the chilled ginger beer over the ice, filling the glass about three-quarters full.
3. Float the rum. Slowly pour the dark rum over the back of a spoon so it floats on top of the ginger beer, creating a layered effect.
4. Add lime. Squeeze the fresh lime juice over the top and drop the spent wedge into the glass as garnish.
5. Serve immediately. Stir gently just before drinking, or leave the layers intact and let it mix as you sip.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 175 | Protein: 0g | Fat: 0g | Carbs: 18g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 15mg