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!
Pat O'Brien's, one of the country's most iconic nightclubs, is known for inventing the famous Hurricane co*cktail that carries an interesting history. The Hurricane was created at Pat O'Brien's in the 1940's during World War II.
This local libation was created with rum at Pat O'Brien's bar during World War II when whiskey was hard to come by. The name for the drink came from the glass it's served in that resembles a hurricane lamp. A perfect place to sip a Hurricane is still in Pat O's legendary courtyard, overlooking the flaming fountain.
Pat O'Brien's signature drink, the Hurricane, was invented in the 1940's during World War II when manufacturing replaced distilleries, making whiskey scarce. To obtain a single case of whiskey, bar owners would have to order 50 cases of rum.
As previously mentioned, the traditional recipe for the Hurricane co*cktail uses multiple rums and the final volume includes an equal dose of 2 oz of 80 proof (40% ABV) light rum and 2 oz of 80 proof (40% ABV) dark rum or heavy rum. The large volume of rum purposely promotes the strength of the co*cktail.
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.
The famed Sazerac Coffee House was founded in New Orleans in 1850 and soon became known as the home of “America's First co*cktail,” the Sazerac. Using rye whiskey (in place of French brandy), a dash of Peychaud's Bitters, and Herbsaint, what eventually became the official co*cktail of New Orleans was created.
What was the first ever co*cktail? Accounts differ, but most experts agree that the first co*cktail was the Sazerac, a blend of whisky, absinthe, bitters and sugar. Created in New Orleans in the mid-1800s, this is one of the first co*cktails recognisable by name and remains a favourite to this day.
ABOUT US - LAFITTE'S BLACKSMITH SHOP BAR, New Orleans, LA. Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop -- built between 1722 and 1732 by Nicolas Touze, is reputed to be the oldest structure used as a bar in the United States.
In a co*cktail shaker, muddle strawberries with honey and ginger syrup. Add rye, lime juice, bitters and ice, and shake until chilled. Double-strain into a large rocks glass over ice. Top with soda water and garnish with a basil leaf.
Stroh 160 is used mostly in baking, black tea, drink base and flambé table-side dishes. One of the most popular vodkas, Devil Spring has an ABV of 80% or 160 proof. The liquor is best used for concocting your flavored vodkas, co*cktail base and creating flaming shorts.
Whether anyone has ever lost their mind from drinking absinthe remains to be seen. The fact is, absinthe is already spooky and making it at 60% (120 proof) just adds to it. Don't attempt to drink this on its own as the traditional absinthe drip is the preferred method for imbibing.
Some wines are “fortified” with distilled alcohol. Port, Madeira, Marsala, Vermouth, and Sherry are examples of fortified wines. They usually have about 20% ABV.
In meteorology, hurricanes and typhoons are regional names for tropical cyclones, and individual storms of each type are named by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), which maintains rotating lists of names.
Hurricane Katrina formed from the combination of a tropical wave, an upper-level trough, and the mid-level remnants of Tropical Depression Ten. A tropical depression formed on August 23 about 200 miles southeast of Nassau in the Bahamas.
The first major hurricane ever recorded in the North Atlantic/East Pacific/Central Pacific was in 1625 BC. Forming as a subtropical depression, strengthening to a subtropical storm. The storm while a Subtropical Storm.
The NHC does not control the naming of tropical storms. Instead a strict procedure has been established by an international committee of the World Meteorological Organization. For Atlantic hurricanes, there is a list of names for each of six years. In other words, one list is repeated every sixth year.
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