Hurricane Cocktail

Looking for a suitable cocktail to drink at Mardi Gras this year? Like the Sazerac, the Hurricane was invented in New Orleans and is closely associated with that city. The two drinks couldn’t be more different.

The Original Hurricane Recipe

The Hurricane can be traced back to Pat O’Brien’s in New Orleans, where it was created in the 1940s as an excellent way to drink all the rum coming to New Orleans from the Caribbean islands.

The original recipe required only three ingredients: dark rum, passion fruit syrup and lemon juice. But in later years, Pat O’Brien’s developed a ready-made mix for their popular drink that made it sweeter and redder. If you go to Pat O’Brien’s today and order a Hurricane, you’ll get a cocktail (which you can also buy) made from this concoction.

The following recipe is a homemade version of this mix. If you’re trying to recreate a recent Hurricane drink experience at Pat O’Brien’s, this should come pretty close, although it won’t be as red!

What about the original recipe?

I tried the original recipe (commonly believed to be a 2:1:1 ratio of dark rum, passion fruit syrup, and lemon juice) and thought I’d highlight this recipe here with a little guilt. Forget the modern day hurricane with all the added rum and grenadine syrup! Back to the original recipe! It’s the best version, blah blah.

But then I made both versions, and readers… I liked the modern, boozy, poppier drink so much more! Yes, it’s a little overkill, and no, you definitely shouldn’t have more than one if you want to stay clear-eyed and focused, but for sipping by the pool or in the garden on a hot day? Totally sold.

I liked the original recipe somewhat, but not shaken as requested. I prefer it served straight which basically made it a rum sour and not a hurricane. So there you have it!

The best rum for a hurricane

This hurricane recipe calls for two types of rum: pale rum and dark rum. Definitely don’t use a superfancy rum – there are too many other flavors in this drink!

I used Myers Original Dark Rum ($16.99) and Mount Gay Silver Rum ($17.99).

Should I use passion fruit puree, syrup or juice?

The biggest problem you might have when making a Hurricane at home is finding the passion fruit element. Some recipes call for the use of passion fruit juice, but most of the time you’ll find that they call for passion fruit puree or passion fruit syrup.

I couldn’t easily find 100% passion fruit juice. Ceres passion fruit juice, the brand you’re most likely to find in a store, is made mostly of pear juice. Even if you do find passion fruit juice, it offers a much more subtle passion fruit flavor than passion fruit puree or syrup. And since we’ve already established that it’s the hurricane Not a subtle drink, I say go for the option with more passion fruit!

I found passion fruit syrup and passion fruit puree on Amazon and bought both to try for this recipe. (You can buy them online or try your local liquor store — they may stock these or similar.)

Both are made with only passion fruit, sugar and water – no other fruit or juice fillers. I preferred the passion fruit puree drink to the syrup, and that’s what I’m calling for in the recipe below. I liked the acidity that the Funkin Pro puree added to the drink, which gave its sweetness a much-needed balance. It creates a heavier, more viscous drink, and you may even notice the drink separate after sitting for a while. It’s nothing a quick stir can’t fix, and even when there was a little separation, I never tasted any particles or noticed a change in the taste or texture of the drink.

If you’re using passion fruit syrup, omit the plain syrup—otherwise the drink will to-too sweet.

More tropical cocktails

• Mai Tai cocktail
• Blender pina colada
• Mojito with mint and lime
• Frozen Strawberry Daiquiri
• Planter’s Punch cocktail