Hurricane (original recipe)
A fruity and sour rum cocktail ∙ Shake; Churn ∙ 4 min ∙ 15.2% ABV ∙
The Hurricane (original recipe) is a rum sour of Jamaican aged rum, passion fruit syrup and fresh lemon juice, shaken and served over crushed ice.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake all ingredients with ice: Jamaican aged rum 120 mlPassion fruit syrup 60 mlLemon juice 60 ml
- Strain into the glass filled 2/3 full with crushed ice
- Churn and add more crushed ice so the cocktail fills the glass
- Garnish with a fruit skewer
- Serve with a straw
Tips
- Use a true Jamaican aged rum rather than a light mixing rum; its funk is what carries through the passion fruit and citrus.
History
This version reconstructs the drink as first mixed at Pat O'Brien's bar in New Orleans in the 1940s, before the recipe grew into the multi-juice, multi-rum drink now generic to tiki-style bars. Wartime shortages left domestic whiskey scarce, and distributors forced tavern owners to buy heavily on rum to secure a few cases of scotch and other whiskeys. Pat O'Brien is credited with pushing surplus rum by mixing it with lemon juice and Fassionola, a red tropical-fruit syrup. The syrup also gave the drink its original red tint, later taken over by grenadine. Served in a glass shaped like a hurricane lamp, the drink caught on with sailors and spread through the French Quarter.
The exact original proportions are not settled. Some accounts describe a simple three-part build of dark rum, passion fruit syrup, and lemon juice. Others credit Pat O'Brien's head bartender with a two-rum version, and the syrup itself has been given as either Fassionola or a plain passion fruit syrup. This early formula is what distinguishes the "original recipe" from the Hurricane most bars serve today, which typically adds ingredients such as orange juice, pineapple juice, or grenadine on top of the rum base.
FAQ
What is the original recipe for the Hurricane?
This reconstruction uses 120 ml Jamaican aged rum, 60 ml passion fruit syrup and 60 ml fresh lemon juice, a 2:1:1 ratio. It is shaken with ice and served over crushed ice in a Hurricane glass. The exact 1940s proportions are not settled.
What is the best way to make a Hurricane at home?
Pick a genuine aged Jamaican rum over a light mixing rum: its funky character comes through the passion fruit and lemon. Shake hard with ice, strain into a Hurricane glass two-thirds full of crushed ice, churn, then top with more crushed ice. Finish with a fruit skewer and a straw.
