The Hurricane is one of those co*cktails with dozens of different recipes circulating around the web. But what was the original recipe? And how did the classic become the bright red drink it is today? Read on to learn about both the simple original and the more complex modern recipe!
The history of the Hurricane co*cktail
Although contemporary recipes call for the addition of orange juice, lime juice, pineapple juice, grenadine, simple syrup, or other ingredients, the first Hurricane was actually just a simple blend of rum, passion fruit syrup, and lemon juice.
The drink originated in New Orleans during the 1940s at Pat O’Brien’s bar. When the bar’s distributor required purchases of (less popular) rum in order to buy the whiskey the bar needed, the recipe was born.
Using up to 4 ounces of rum, the co*cktail was intended to get rid of the excess rum quickly. However, the drink was unexpectedly popular, eventually becoming the iconic New Orleans Hurricane we know today.
Want more classic misunderstood rum co*cktails? Try the Original Mai Tai!
How did the Hurricane recipe change so much?
The recipe’s change from three simple ingredients to a neon red mix is thought to be due to demand.
As the Hurricane’s popularity grew, it needed to be produced quickly and on a larger scale, leading Pat O’Brien’s to switch to a pre-batched co*cktail mix.
Some sources say that the first Hurricanes were made with fassionola syrup, a somewhat mysterious red-colored tropical fruit-flavored syrup made with a variety of ingredients, most notably passion fruit.
Fassionola would have lent early Hurricanes a reddish hue, that grenadine would later replace. If you want to recreate the earliest Hurricane, you can replace the passion fruit syrup listed below with my easy to make fassionola. Get the Fassionola Syrup Recipe.
What ingredients are in Pat O’Brien’s modern Hurricane?
The Hurricanes served at Pat O’Brien’s today are made with a blend of rums, passion fruit juice, orange juice, lime juice, grenadine, and simple syrup. (I’ll include this recipe with the original below).
If you visit New Orleans, make a stop at Pat O’Brien’s and enjoy a modern Hurricane at its birth place. And if you’re looking for a fun Mardi Gras co*cktail to enjoy from the comfort of your home, try the original recipe below!
You may also like these other classic New Orleans co*cktails: Sazerac, Ramos Gin Fizz, Vieux Carre, Absinthe Frappe.
All out of lemons? Make the classic recipe below with lime juice instead of lemon and you’ve got what I like to call a Hurricane Daiquiri. Lime and passion fruit are equally as tasty as lemon and passion fruit and it’s a really easy variation to try. Throw the ingredients and a cup of crushed ice in a blender and enjoy a delicious frozen Hurricane Daiquiri!
I recently made this recipe and shared my favorite way to make passion fruit syrup over on Instagram. Check out the video above!
The Original Hurricane Recipe
Amy Traynor
This simple and refreshing rum co*cktail was originally just rum, lemon juice, and passion fruit syrup. Find both the original and the modern day recipes below!
Rum: Pat O'Brien's calls for an “amber” rum, which works. As does a not-too-funky Jamaican dark rum like Myer's. What you want here is some richness from the rum but not too much depth or too much oak—something light and accessible like Flor de Caña 7 or even Cruzan Aged works great.
The most popular association the hurricane co*cktail has today is with the Pat O'Brien's chain of bars and restaurants, and particularly their original New Orleans location creation of the passion fruit-flavored relative of the daiquiri is credited to New Orleans tavern owner Pat O'Brien.
Conversely, the most popular story of the co*cktail's creation can be traced directly to Pat O'Brien's in New Orleans. The facts surrounding the co*cktail's origin also mark the recipe as a time capsule that addressed the needs of the time.
Sharon's tips: While all of the ingredients in this recipe can easily be found in most grocery stores, passion fruit juice is harder to find. If you can't find it, passion fruit syrup, which can be found in many liquor stores or ordered online, can be substituted.
To be totally honest, I think these Hurricane mixes taste pretty similar, but Pat O'Brien's gets the edge for being a ready-to-use liquid rather than a powder. I guess it's not a huge surprise that Pat O'Brien's Hurricane Mix is the best Hurricane mix.
The best dark rums for a Hurricane co*cktail are a blend of a lighter aged rum like the Dos Maderas 5+3 and a richer dark rum like the Dos Maderas 5+5. The co-basing allows for a greater range of compatibility of fruit and other ingredients.
1. Sazerac. Considered by some the official co*cktail of New Orleans, the Sazerac dates back to the 19th century. It's made with rye whiskey, absinthe, Peychaud's bitters, and a sugar cube, garnished with a lemon peel.
Sazerac. If you ever take a food tour in New Orleans, you're bound to encounter the Sazerac. Named the official co*cktail of New Orleans in 2008, the Sazerac is definitely on the list of must-try New Orleans drinks, and a classic option for online mixology classes.
The Hurricane is not a co*cktail of subtlety. Its double serving of rum and suite of fruit juices and sweeteners have been packing a punch since the early 1940s, when it was invented at Pat O'Brien's in New Orleans.
The large volume of rum purposely promotes the strength of the co*cktail. In fact, in the 8.5 oz co*cktail recipe, the co*cktail ABV is a staggering 18.8% thanks to this generous fill. The combination of a light rum, a low congener rum, with a dark rum, a high congener rum, adds to the complexity of the co*cktail.
New Orleans has several famous drinks but the most famous is the Hurricane co*cktail, made with two types of rum, grenadine, and fruit juice. What's the difference between a daiquiri and a Hurricane? A daiquiri is typically made with just one type of rum, while a Hurricane is always made with two plus amaretto.
It is used to serve mixed drinks, particularly the Hurricane from which it is named originating at Pat O'Brien's Bar in New Orleans. Other drinks served in this glass include the Singapore Sling, June bug, piña colada and Blue Hawaii.
What is the difference between a Hurricane and a Mai Tai? The main difference between a Hurricane and a Mai Tai is that the Mai Tai typically includes almond-flavored syrup, while the Hurricane includes passion fruit juice.
However, if you don't mind making the recipe with a different flavor you can exchange out the passion fruit juice for any kind of citrus juice 1:1. Lemon is most frequently used but I have found that blood orange, lime, or grapefruit work well too.
The granadilla is by far the least known. This round to oval fruit can be recognised by its orange, but also green or yellow, skin. Compared with the well-known passionfruit, the taste is slightly sweeter. The hard shell of the granadilla is inedible.
Wray & Nephew. It's impossible to talk about Jamaican rum without mentioning J. Wray & Nephew. First opened in 1825, it holds the title of the country's oldest registered company.
Goslings has since trademarked the name “Dark 'n Stormy,” which is why some bars refer to their version of the drink as a Safe Harbor or Rum Mule. If you want to make the official co*cktail recipe (or abbreviate the “and” in the name), you must use Goslings Black Seal Rum.
The Hurricane recipe is a mix of white rum and Original Spiced Rum, passion fruit juice, mango juice, lime juice and sugar syrup; it's a real taste of the tropics.
Introduction: My name is Chrissy Homenick, I am a tender, funny, determined, tender, glorious, fancy, enthusiastic person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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