In case you were unaware it’s Mardi Gras next week. That special holiday known for vibrant costumes, neverending jazz music, and of course the family-friendly exchange of beads. And while the public celebrations in New Orleans are canceled this year, you can still celebrate at home with an iconic New Orleans drink, the hurricane cocktail.
What is a hurricane cocktail?
The hurricane cocktail is generally believed to have been invented by a bartender named Pat O’Brian sometime in the 1940s. It is during this time that there was a real shortage of whisky due to rations caused by WWII. And all Pat O’Brian had in stock at his bar was rum. The problem with this was the fact that most people in New Orleans during that time didn’t really care for rum. So he had to figure out a way to market the liquor to his customers.
In the end, he came up with the hurricane. A cocktail made out of both light rum and dark rum mixed with a variety of tropical fruit juices. And while the fruits used in a hurricane can vary from bar to bar, its most notable flavor comes from passion fruit. So whatever you do, you can’t skip out on the passion fruit.
Tips, Tricks & Suggestions
- If you are having trouble finding passion fruit juice then I suggest you go to the Latin American section of your grocery store.
- While you can use regular old ice in your hurricane cocktail, crushed ice is better. And if you don’t have a crushed ice setting on your fridge then you can still crush your ice by placing it in a plastic bag and smashing it with either a meat mallet or rolling pin.
- Try out some of our other great cocktails like mint julep, classic margarita, or mango mojito.
Hurricane Cocktail Recipe
Total time: 2 minutes
Servings: 1
Ingredients
For the cocktail:
2 oz. of light rum
2 oz. of dark rum
3 oz. of passion fruit juice
1 oz. of orange juice
1 oz. of grenadine
½ oz. of lime juice
Ice
Garnish:
Orange wheel
Maraschino cherry
Instructions
- Shake the cocktail: Add all of the ingredients for the cocktail to a cocktail shaker. Fill the shaker halfway up with ice, and shake for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Pour the cocktail into a glass and fill it up with some crushed ice. Garnish the glass with an orange wheel and cherry
- Enjoy your hurricane responsibly.
Hurricane Cocktail Recipe
Equipment
- Cocktail shaker
Ingredients
For the cocktail:
- 2 oz. of light rum
- 2 oz. of dark rum
- 3 oz. of passion fruit juice
- 1 oz. of orange juice
- 1 oz. of grenadine
- ½ oz. of lime juice
- Ice
Garnish:
- Orange wheel
- Maraschino cherry
Instructions
- Shake the cocktail: Add all of the ingredients for the cocktail to a cocktail shaker. Fill the shaker halfway up with ice, and shake for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Pour the cocktail into a glass and fill it up with some crushed ice. Garnish the glass with an orange wheel and cherry
- Enjoy your hurricane responsibly.