The Original Hurricane Recipe (2024)

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 Original Hurricane Recipe (1)

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.

The Original Hurricane Recipe (2)

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.

For the Hurricane pictured here, I’ve used Liber & Co Passion Fruit Syrup. You can also easily make your own passion fruit simple syrup with either fresh or frozen passion fruit.

The Original Hurricane Recipe (3)

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.

Make it a Hurricane Daiquiri

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!

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The Original Hurricane Recipe (5)

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!

4.12 from 25 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course Drinks

Servings 1 co*cktail

Ingredients

  • 4 oz rum (usually aged rum or equal parts aged and white)
  • 2 oz passion fruit syrup or fassionola syrup
  • 2 oz lemon juice

Instructions

  • Add all ingredients to a co*cktail shaker with a couple small pieces of ice.

  • Shake until the ice has dissolved, then open pour the co*cktail into a hurricane glass filled with crushed ice.

  • Stir, top with more crushed ice, and garnish with an orange slice and a co*cktail cherry.

Notes

Fassionola Syrup Recipe

Modern Hurricane Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 2 oz aged rum
  • 2 oz white rum
  • 2 oz passion fruit juice
  • 1 oz orange juice
  • 1/2 oz lime juice
  • 1 tbsp simple syrup
  • 1 tbsp grenadine

Instructions:

  1. Add all ingredients to a co*cktail shaker and add a couple of small pieces of ice. Shake until the ice dissolves.
  2. Open pour the co*cktail into a hurricane glass filled with crushed ice.
  3. Stir, top with more crushed ice, and garnish with an orange slice and a co*cktail cherry.

Keyword fassionola, lemon juice, passion fruit syrup, rum,

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

The Original Hurricane Recipe (6)

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The Original Hurricane Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Who made the original Hurricane? ›

Pat O'Brien's, one of the country's most iconic nightclubs, is known for inventing the famous Hurricane co*cktail that carries an interesting history. The Hurricane was created at Pat O'Brien's in the 1940's during World War II.

Where was the original Hurricane drink made? ›

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.

What is the famous Hurricane at Pat O Brien's? ›

This local libation was created with rum at Pat O'Brien's bar during World War II when whiskey was hard to come by. The name for the drink came from the glass it's served in that resembles a hurricane lamp. A perfect place to sip a Hurricane is still in Pat O's legendary courtyard, overlooking the flaming fountain.

What is the best rum for Pat O'Brien's Hurricane? ›

Rum: Pat O'Brien's calls for an “amber” rum, which works. As does a not-too-funky Jamaican dark rum like Myer's. What you want here is some richness from the rum but not too much depth or too much oak—something light and accessible like Flor de Caña 7 or even Cruzan Aged works great.

What is the famous drink in New Orleans? ›

1. Sazerac. Considered by some the official co*cktail of New Orleans, the Sazerac dates back to the 19th century. It's made with rye whiskey, absinthe, Peychaud's bitters, and a sugar cube, garnished with a lemon peel.

What is the signature co*cktail of New Orleans? ›

Sazerac. If you ever take a food tour in New Orleans, you're bound to encounter the Sazerac. Named the official co*cktail of New Orleans in 2008, the Sazerac is definitely on the list of must-try New Orleans drinks, and a classic option for online mixology classes.

How old is the Hurricane drink? ›

History. The oldest known references to the hurricane co*cktail date the drink's creation back to at least 1938. The best representation of the original recipe and look of the Hurricane drink is depicted in the 1938 produced/1939 released Warner Bros.

What are the ingredients for a Hurricane to form? ›

The formation of a hurricane is complicated, but basically, it depends on 3 factors: First, you need warm water, at least 80 degrees. The second ingredient is moist air. And finally, there needs to be converging winds for a hurricane to form.

What flavor is Hurricane? ›

The Hurricane is composed of two types of rum, lime juice, orange juice, passion fruit puree, grenadine and simple syrup. It's sweet, fruity and boozy, so it contains all the hallmarks of a good party drink.

Did Pat Obriens invent the hurricane? ›

O'Brien is reported to have invented the hurricane co*cktail in the 1940s.

How bad was Hurricane Hazel? ›

Heavy rains of up to 11 inches occurred as far northward as Toronto, Canada resulting in severe flooding. Hazel was responsible for 95 deaths and $281 million in damage in the United States, 100 deaths and $100 million in damage in Canada, and an estimated 400 to 1000 deaths in Haiti.

What is the most popular co*cktail in the Caribbean? ›

But the mojito is perhaps the most iconic. Today it's made with white rum, club soda, sugar, lime and muddled mint, but the drink traces its origins to 16th-century Havana.

What kind of rum should I use for a Hurricane? ›

This Hurricane recipe calls for two types of rum: light rum and dark rum. Definitely don't use a super fancy rum - there are too many other flavors in this drink! I used Myer's Original Dark Rum and Mount Gay Silver Rum.

What rum did pirates drink? ›

For the most part, pirates would drink whatever they got their hands on. Usually, this meant unrefined, dark, high-alcohol-content strong rum. When you Google this question, you'll find the top answer to be grog, or rum grog. Rum grog was a mixture of rum, sugar, lime or another citrus, and water.

What created the hurricane? ›

Warm ocean waters and thunderstorms fuel power-hungry hurricanes. Hurricanes form over the ocean, often beginning as a tropical wave—a low pressure area that moves through the moisture-rich tropics, possibly enhancing shower and thunderstorm activity.

Who discovered the first hurricane? ›

This was the first hurricane in the Atlantic basin observed and reported by Europeans as it occurred during Christopher Columbus's second voyage to Hispaniola. His fleet arrived at Saona on 23 September [O.S. 14 September] 1494, and the storm occurred shortly after this time.

Who came up with the hurricane naming system? ›

Credit for the first usage of personal names for weather is generally given to the Queensland Government Meteorologist Clement Wragge, who named tropical cyclones and anticyclones between 1887 and 1907.

Who invented the hurricane plane? ›

The Hawker Hurricane was a British single-seater monoplane fighter aircraft designed by Chief Designer Sydney Camm at Hawker Aircraft in the early 1930's. It saw exemplary service in World War II and accounted for over 60% of the air victories in the Battle of Britain.

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