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The classic Hurricane cocktail was born in New Orleans, made with light and dark rum, passion fruit syrup, and fresh citrus. It’s tart, tropical, and festive!
It’s fruity, it’s extra boozy, and it’s 100% fun: meet the Hurricane cocktail! This New Orleans special is a bit of a splurge, loaded with two types of rum and a tropical nuance from passion fruit. A hint of grenadine gives it extra sweetness and a rosy-golden color.
I fell in love with this cocktail after I drank one on Bourbon Street, and it’s so festive and fun. This one’s a bit stronger than most cocktails, so keep this in mind when you’re mixing it up!
What Is a Hurricane Cocktail?
The Hurricane drink is a classic New Orleans cocktail from the 1940’s made with light and dark rum, passion fruit syrup, orange juice, lime juice, and grenadine.
The drink was invented by Pat O’Brien, owner of the popular Pat O’Brien’s bar in New Orleans. Apparently Pat created the drink to use up a surplus of rum and served it in a glass shaped like a hurricane lamp. It was an instant hit, and remains a classic to this day.
Ingredients You’ll Need
The Hurricane is a relative of the classic daiquiri, but the fruity mix is also reminiscent of the classic 1920’s Singapore Sling. Here are the Hurricane cocktail ingredients you’ll need to whip up this NOLA special:
- Light rum and dark rum: You’ll need two types of rum here for a interesting nuance in flavor. Light rum is clean and bright, and dark rum has caramel and molasses notes.
- Passion fruit syrup: This is the signature flavor and there’s no substitute! Read more below.
- Fresh lime juice: This balances the sweetness and accentuates the fruity flavor.
- Orange juice: This also adds a citrus note.
- Grenadine: A final touch of grenadine syrup adds a rosy color to the drink.
All About Passion Fruit Syrup
The most unique ingredient for this Hurricane cocktail recipe is passion fruit syrup. Some versions of the cocktail use passion fruit juice, but it’s very hard to find so I like using passion fruit syrup. Here’s what to know:
- Passion fruit syrup is a syrup made from passion fruit pulp and sugar. While you can make your own at home, it’s easy to find passion fruit syrup online. It tastes tropical, sweet tart and fruity.
- What is a substitute for passion fruit syrup? Passion fruit has such a unique flavor that there’s really no substitute. If you want to make a Hurricane cocktail, you have to make it right! Passion fruit is required for that signature flavor. Trust me!
- Where to buy passion fruit syrup? I bought this Monin Passion Fruit Syrup online. You could also look at your local liquor store. Use up leftovers in this Zombie cocktail.
Why You Need Two Types of Rum
You’ll need two types of rum to make the Hurricane drink. It’s based on the classic daiquiri, but it has more than double the rum (4 ounces in the Hurricane vs 1 ½ ounces in the daiquiri). So beware when you take a sip! Here’s why you need each type of rum:
- Dark rum is aged longer than white rum. It has a dark color and a rich, developed flavor with caramel, brown sugar, and vanilla notes.
- Light rum or white rum is clear and has a smoother, sweeter flavor and is used in straightforward tropical drinks like the mojito, daiquiri and piña colada.
How to Make a Hurricane Cocktail
Once you’ve got your hands on passion fruit syrup, your two types of rum and grenadine, making the Hurricane cocktail is a breeze! It’s a traditional “shaken” cocktail where you shake ingredients in a cocktail shaker, then strain:
- Shake: Add the ingredients to a cocktail shaker. Fill it with a few handfuls of ice and then shake until very cold. Don’t have a cocktail shaker? Use a mason jar with a cover instead.
- Strain: Strain the drink into a hurricane glass if you have one: or any cocktail glass will do. Don’t have a cocktail strainer? Use a fine mesh strainer instead.
- Garnish: Add a cocktail cherry and an orange slice for the classic look.
What Color Should a Hurricane Be?
You’ll notice that some versions of the Hurricane look rosy orange, like you see here, but others are bright red. What color should the drink be? The difference comes down to grenadine, a sweet syrup made from pomegranate juice.
The type and amount of grenadine affects the drink color. Grenadine you buy at the store has artificial coloring, and makes a brighter red color. Also, some Hurricane cocktail recipes use even more grenadine to get a super bright red color.
My version has this golden orange color, which I think lets the passion fruit shine. But if you want it redder, you can add another ½ ounce of grenadine.
When to Serve a Hurricane
The Hurricane cocktail is a stunning New Orleans drink you can use to impress! It’s perfect for sipping as a:
- Signature drink
- Happy hour drink
- Dinner party drink
- Late night drinks drink
- Guys or girls night drink
- Cocktail hour drink
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! With 4 ounces of 80-proof rum, a Hurricane has double the alcohol of a standard drink. The fruit juice hides it well, so sip slowly!
It tastes tart, sweet, and tropical. The passion fruit is strong, with bright citrus and some caramel notes from the dark rum.
It’s a tall, curvy glass with rim that flares wider, and it usually holds up to 20 ounces. It’s named after the glass on a hurricane lamp.
No, the traditional version of shaken and served over ice. You can make a frozen Hurricane if you like: just blend all the ingredients with about 1 cup of ice (like a Frozen Daiquiri).
Classic Hurricane Cocktail
The classic Hurricane cocktail was born in New Orleans, made with light and dark rum, passion fruit syrup, and fresh citrus. It’s tart, tropical, and festive!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 drink 1x
- Category: Drink
- Method: Shaken
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 2 ounces dark rum
- 2 ounces light rum
- 1 ounce orange juice
- 1 ounce lime juice
- 1 ½ ounces passion fruit syrup (we used Monin Passion Fruit Syrup)
- 1 tablespoon grenadine
- For the garnish: orange wedge and cocktail cherry
Instructions
- Add the dark rum, light rum, orange juice, lime juice, passion fruit syrup, and grenadine to a cocktail shaker. Fill it with ice and shake it until cold.
- Strain into a hurricane glass filled with fresh ice. If desired, garnish with an orange wedge and cherry.
I have so enjoyed your articles and recipes for summer drinks (alcohol). It is so comprehensive on not only the drinks, but all of the ingredients. With perfect substitutions and fixes for things you might not have or be able to find locally. I’ve gone to other websites for information but NONE compare to what you offer your readers! Thank you! And now…it’s time to make a classic NOLA Hurricane!
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