The Best Hurricane Recipe

About

I first visited New Orleans in my early 20s and basically went in blind. Several of us planned a trip around 311 Day. The mission was simple: see 311, eat as much as we could, and have a blast. Much fun was had!

This is when I discovered the Hurricane.

The legendary Pat O’Brien’s in New Orleans, LA, gets the credit for the New Orleans Hurricane Cocktail.

They developed it as a way to use up the abundant amount of rum coming up the Mississippi from the Caribbean in the 1940’s. It’s a fruity, rum-heavy concoction served in a glass shaped like a hurricane lamp. Hence the name.

I didn’t know about Pat O’Brien’s before that visit, but I managed to lead my crew in there one night, and the rest is history. 

They’re still serving their Hurricane, and it’s become famous across the city and well beyond. If you’re in NOLA, make sure to drop by Pat O’Brien’s and try the original. They also sell a mix you can take home.

I prefer to make my hurricane recipe from scratch when I’m at home. I use real fruit juices and plenty of rum. It’s easy and delicious!

Ingredients

• For the dark rum, choose something like Goslings, Myers, or Bacardi Black. Not spiced rum.
• Use your favorite light rum. Just don’t buy the flavored kind. I typically use Bacardi.
• Freshly squeezed orange and lime juices are a must. They add sweet, sour, and tropical flavors. And fresh-squeezed is much more flavorful than bottled.
• Passion fruit syrup is the secret ingredient for a really good hurricane. I admit that it can be hard to find. Luckily, it’s easy to make at home! You can order a bottle from Liber & Co. or use my passion fruit syrup recipe to make your own.
• Homemade Grenadine adds a sweet, fruity flavor and a bit of red tint. I use real grenadine made from pomegranate juice because it’s dye-free and has a rich flavor.
• An orange slice, a cocktail cherry, and a long, straight straw are the classic garnish for a New Orleans hurricane.

How to Make it

You’ll need a cocktail shaker, a hurricane glass, a tall straw, a citrus juicer, a cocktail jigger, and a paring knife.

Fill a hurricane glass with ice.

Then, fill a cocktail shaker half full of ice. Add everything but the grenadine and garnish, then tightly close the shaker.

Shake vigorously, then strain it into the ice-filled glass. Pour the grenadine over the top.

Garnish it with a cherry, an orange slice. Add a long, straight straw, and enjoy!

Pro-tip:  If you don’t have a cocktail jigger to measure with, you can use a tablespoon or a measuring cup. 1 ounce equals 2 tablespoons.

Hurricane Recipe

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