Fat Tuesday is coming up, and I’m super excited– even if I’m not in New Orleans for the big day. In the spirit of celebration (I’m only half-sorry for my terrible puns), we’re sharing a Hurricane drink, one of the most famous New Orleans cocktails. Ready for the recipe of this fruity, rum-based drink?
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LET’S CELEBRATE MARDI GRAS!
Of course, we have a lot of cocktail options for Mardi Gras: The Sazerac, Vieux Carre, and (for our fellow super nerds) the frozen version of an Irish Coffee, à la Erin Rose.
But there’s a reason the Hurricane is perhaps the most famous of all: This classic fruit cocktail is tart, fragrant, and refreshing— plus, it mixes 2 kinds of rum.
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BRIEF HISTORY OF THE HURRICANE COCKTAIL
This delicious cocktail was invented by bar owner Pat O’Brien (of the famous Pat O’Brien’s in New Orleans) and his team– led by George Oechsner Jr.– in the 1940s. During that time, American spirits were hard to come by, but Caribbean rum was (almost literally) overflowing. Hence, using that surplus of rum just made sense.
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HURRICANE COCKTAIL INGREDIENTS
A word of warning: On that note, this delightfully tropical-flavored drink is strong. With 2 ounces dark rum and 2 ounces light rum, the alcohol content of this drink is no joke. Literally, the oz of alcohol is double that of most classic drinks.
And while I’ve seen Hurricane recipes that call for a full tablespoon Grenadine, that makes this boozy drink just a little too sweet in my opinion. We already have fresh passion fruit juice purée in there, so the additional sweetness isn’t really necessary, so we’re just using a bar spoon’s worth today.
Add 1 ounce orange juice and fresh lime juice (each) and only a half ounce simple syrup, and you have a balanced cocktail recipe that is sweet and slightly tart.
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HOW TO MAKE A HURRICANE DRINK
Watch the video below to learn step-by-step how to make this party drink to get you ready for Mardi Gras (or any other event). It’ll take a little prep time, especially if you want to juice fresh fruit instead of buying (which, of course, we recommend– when possible, fresh is always better). But in my opinion, it’s well worth the effort.
Note: Chris created a fruit juice blend ahead of time, but you can add the juices individually as well.
The mixture of rums brings a deep, smoky taste from the dark rum. Combined with the fragrance and flavor from the passion fruit, this cocktail can definitely sneak up on you! If you are looking for something fresher than the premixed bottle of Pat O’Brien’s Hurricane mix, give this recipe a try.
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And of course make sure to watch till the end to see Chris’ version of a Hurricane using passion fruit liqueur, pineapple juice, and a secret ingredient made from strawberry jam and orange marmalade. Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler!
Pat O'Brien's Hurricane Drink Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 oz Dark Rum Myers
- 2 oz White Rum Plantation 3 stars
- 1 oz Lime Juice
- 1 oz Orange Juice
- 0.5 oz Passion fruit Puree See instructions below
- 0.5 oz Simple Syrup
- 1 barspoon Grenadine
Passion Fruit Puree
- 3 each Passion Fruits
- 1 cup Simple Syrup
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice, and shake hard for 10 seconds.
- Add fresh crushed ice to your Hurricane glass, strain the cocktail into your cocktail glass with ice, and top with more ice accordingly.
- Garnish with an orange slice and cocktail cherry.
Sub Ingredient Instructions
- Spilt passion fruit into 2 halves, and scoop out the pulp and seeds.
- Combine an equal parts blend of passion fruit juice and pulp (de-seeded) and simple syrup in a blender.
- Blend until the blender gets a little warm so the sugars meld together.
- Run the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer or piece of cheesecloth to remove any remaining chunks of fruit.
Hurricane Drink with Pineapple Juice
Ingredients
- 2 oz Dark Rum
- 1 oz Overproof Rum
- 1 oz Lime Juice
- 1 oz Pineapple Juice
- 1 oz Passion Fruit Liqueur
- 1 oz Strawberry & Orange Syrup
Strawberry & Orange Simple Syrup
- 1 part Strawberry Jam
- 1 part Orange Marmalade
- 1 part Sugar
- 1 part Water
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice, and shake hard for 10 seconds.
- Add fresh crushed ice to your Hurricane lamp, strain the cocktail into your cocktail glass with ice, and top with more ice accordingly.
- Garnish with an orange wedge and cocktail cherry.
Sub Ingredient Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a glass container.
- Stir thoroughly until all ingredients are well mixed.
- Optional: Fine-strain your syrup for a smoother consistency.
- Store in the fridge for up to 1 week.
