The Hurricane , a hefty slug of dark rum mixed with citrus and passion fruit juices, served in a glass shaped like the chimney of an old hurricane lantern, has been a wildly popular staple of New Orleans drinking since its introduction at Pat O’Brien’s bar on St Peter Street (Benson Harrison “Pat” O’Brien and his partner Charlie Cantrell converted their French Quarter speakeasy to a public bar on December 3, 1933—two days before Prohibition officially ended). Head bartender Louis Culligan is credited with the drink’s creation; O’Brien claimed that occurred during World War II, when whisky allocation was such that it was only available if one bought large amounts of rum. In a recipe he shared with Cabaret Quarterly in 1956, Culligan specified 120 ml gold rum to 60 ml each “red passion fruit mix” and “the juice of two lemons.” (Various red-colored “passion fruit” punch mixes and cordials emerged in the 1920s; many remain available today.)
Against this story, one must balance the recipe for “Hurricane Punch” found in The Rum Connoisseur, a 1941 booklet published by the Ronrico Corp. of San Juan, Puerto Rico: 120 ml rum, 60 ml “Passion Fruit syrup,” and 30 ml each of lemon and lime juice, served in a “special blue glass.” (The drink may have been related to the short-lived Hurricane Club, open on Broadway in New York from 1940 to 1941.)
Whether Culligan invented the drink or copied it from a promotion booklet doesn’t matter: the Hurricane Punch was just another recipe in a book; Pat O’Brien’s Hurricane was a sensation. “Pat O’s” became wildly popular with locals, who enjoyed the neighborhood vibe of the main bar, the dueling pianos in the piano bar, and the beautiful courtyard patio bar with its flaming fountain. From the 1950s on its popularity with tourists grew enormously, as did the popularity of its signature drink; it began appearing at bars all over the city. Another ten years, and it was nationwide.
The Hurricane’s popularity led to the bar’s introduction, in around 1980, of a prepackaged mix both bottled and in powder, which is sold along with the drink’s signature glassware. Other preparations use a fresh-ingredient approach, following the original recipe but with the substitution of passion fruit syrup, or a 1:1 mixture of passion fruit pulp and simple syrup. The drink is traditionally garnished with an orange-cherry flag. See flag.
Recipe: Shake or blend 120 ml gold rum, 60 ml red passion fruit mix, and 60 ml lemon juice (or 30 ml lemon juice and 30 ml lime juice) with ice. Pour unstrained into Hurricane glass. Add a straw and garnish with an orange-cherry flag.
See also Pat O’Brien’s.
Berry, Jeff. Beachbum Berry Remixed: A Gallery of Tiki Drinks. San Jose, CA: Club Tiki/SLG, 2009.
East, Charles. “New Orleans.” Cabaret Quarterly 5 (1956): 33.
By: Chuck Taggart