Hurricane Cocktail: A New Orleans Classic

A hurricane cocktail is a New Orleans classic. It’s sweet, tangy, and has just the right amount of rum to get your party started! The passionfruit syrup that you’ll need to make it has tons of other uses too… you’ll be glad you have it on hand.

What is a hurricane cocktail?

There are lots of theories about where and how the hurricane cocktail originated, but the most popular is that it began at Pat O’Brien’s in New Orleans shortly after World War II when whiskey was in short supply. Liquor suppliers had a surplus of rum and required bar owners to order multiple cases of rum for one case of whiskey. In an effort to use up all this rum, the hurricane cocktail was born.

For more history on southern food and drinks you’ll want to read Southern Food: Then & Now.

The original hurricane cocktail was said to have consisted of nothing but rum, lemon juice, and the hard-to-come-by Fassionola. Fassionola was a sweet syrup with passionfruit and other fruit flavors. These days, passionfruit syrup or puree is used in place of Fassionola along with a mixture of orange juice, lime juice, and grenadine.

I found this passionfruit puree on Amazon and it is amazing in a hurricane cocktail! Not only that, but I have also been adding it to mojitos and even gin & tonics to make them a bit more interesting and it definitely does the trick!

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The other important item you need to make a hurricane cocktail is a hurricane glass! You can find the ones we bought here. Hurricanes are also typically garnished with a slice of orange and a bright red maraschino cherry.

Speaking of cherries, for a healthy twist on cherry flavors you’ll want to get the recipe for Cherry Infused Water. It’s the perfect way to stay hydrated!

If you make this or any of our recipes we’d love for you to leave us a comment and star rating. If you’re into sharing your creations, snap a photo and tag us when you post it to Facebook or Instagram.

If you’re like us and you love all foods and drinks from the Cajun and Creole cuisines you’ll want to try Shrimp Etouffee and Dirty Rice. For a different fruity cocktail option, you’ll want to try this Fresh Pineapple Mojito. Even more recipes are pictured with links at the bottom.

Need some Cajun or Creole food to serve with your hurricane? We got you covered.