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 signature drink, the Hurricane, was invented in the 1940's during World War II when manufacturing replaced distilleries, making whiskey scarce.
What is a Hurricane co*cktail? The most popular drink with visitors to the French Quarter may just be the sweet red Hurricane, served with a big old cherry and a juicy orange slice. This local libation was created with rum at Pat O'Brien's bar during World War II when whiskey was hard to come by.
Variations: Feel free to get creative and make your own Hurricane co*cktail recipe! Try substituting pomegranate, pineapple, or orange juice for the passion fruit juice. Or, add a little of any of them for additional flavor.
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 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.
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.
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.
According to Davidson, the flower of the Passiflora edulis was known by Spanish missionaries as the Flor de las cinco lagas (flower of the five wounds) because it illustrated the crucifixion of Christ (Davidson). Hence, the name passion fruit was originated.
Pawpaws are the largest edible fruit tree native to North America. You can eat them right off the tree if they are ripe. They taste like a typical tropical fruit, with a flavor reminiscent of mangoes, pineapples, bananas and berries. Their texture is creamy and custardlike, similar to that of a banana.
They look somewhat like a straight, small banana with rounded ends. In its Latin American homeland, it is known as curuba. This variety is a fast growing, evergreen climber. It has beautiful pink flowers in Spring/Summer followed by a fruit in Autumn that tastes like a passion fruit with a hint of banana.
Thanks to Pat O'Brien's ingenuity, the Hurricane co*cktail, served in the now-iconic hurricane glass, became an instant hit. To this day, you can still visit the famous Pat O'Brien's bar in New Orleans and enjoy a flavorful Hurricane in its original environment.
The Hurricane co*cktail glass is the historic glass of the famous “Hurricane” co*cktail made with rum and fruit, invented in New Orleans in the 1940s. Its design is inseparable from exotic fruit co*cktails, and is a true invitation to travel to paradise islands.
Following dinner, the charter guests told the Below Deck Sailing Yacht crew that they were going to do “Hurricanes.” When stewardess Ashley Marti asked what a “hurricane” was, one of the guests explained that after someone drinks a shot, another person throws a glass of water in their face and immediately slaps them.
From that day on, his beloved drink became known as the Harvey Wallbanger. Longstanding legend has it that the bartender who first mixed the soothing co*cktail was Donato “Duke” Antone, who ran Duke's Blackwatch Bar on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood in 1952.
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Introduction: My name is Amb. Frankie Simonis, I am a hilarious, enchanting, energetic, cooperative, innocent, cute, joyous person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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