Hurricane Cocktail

The classic Hurricane Cocktail is famous for its New Orleans roots, but you can enjoy it anytime when you make it at home. It’s light and refreshing, making it the perfect drink for every occasion from Mardi Gras to a hot summer day.

About this Hurricane Cocktail recipe

When you visit New Orleans, a Hurricane cocktail should be on the menu. There is hardly any drink that’s more NOLA, except maybe a daiquiri.

I was fortunate enough to have my first Hurricane in The Big Easy with friends at a dueling piano bar. We rang in the new year with these iconic drinks in hand — it’s been really hard to top that New Year’s Eve!

This classic recipe for a Hurricane contains two kinds of Caribbean rum, lemon juice and passion fruit syrup. Because it’s a simple recipe (equal parts of each ingredient), it’s an easy one to scale. I actually did this for a friend’s wedding that got moved due to an actual hurricane and mixed up Hurricane Punch in pitchers as their signature drink.

Sometimes you can find bottled hurricane mix at the grocery store, such as Bacardí Ready-to-Serve Hurricane mix, which you then add to a base of Bacardí rum. However, I much prefer to mix up my own so I have control over the flavor.

More rum cocktail recipes: Milk Punch • Classic Mojito • Dark and Stormy • Jungle Juice

Why you’ll love this recipe

Sweet, light and refreshing, this fruity cocktail is an amazing drink to enjoy anytime.

• Celebrate Mardi Gras wherever you are by bringing a taste of New Orleans tradition.
• This classic recipe is super simple to make for a crowd — it’s perfect for celebrations and get-togethers.
• Beat the heat on a hot summer day with one in hand.

What is a Hurricane drink?

A Hurricane cocktail is a classic cocktail made with two types of rum, passion fruit syrup and citrus juice. Some recipes also include orange juice and grenadine syrup.

It gets its name from the billowy shape of the glass, known as the Hurricane glass due to its similarity to the old-fashioned, gas hurricane lamp.

Popular in New Orleans, this refreshing, fruity cocktail is loved all year long, especially during Mardi Gras celebrations and to beat the humid Louisiana summer heat.

History

While there is debate as to whether the cocktail was invented at New York’s Hurricane Club or New Orleans’ Pat O’Brien’s Bar, most would probably agree the drink was popularized at the latter. In the 1940s, Caribbean rum was more readily available than European whiskey, thanks to the raging war abroad, and owner Pat O’Brien served up this cocktail after his employees found a creative way to use all their surplus of rum.

Even today, you can still visit Pat O’s for a Hurricane and an evening caught in between dueling piano bars playing tourists’ song requests. (Highly recommend it!) Hurricanes are available at pretty much any New Orleans bar, too.

Tools & glassware

You should have all the tools needed for this tasty drink already in your bar. If you don’t, they’re worth the investment as many cocktail recipes call for them!

You’ll need a jigger, cocktail shaker and strainer to mix up your Hurricane drink.

Don’t forget the hurricane glass — after all, that’s where the name comes from! I like these because they’re simple yet sturdy.

essential bar tools

jigger

Buy Now →

boston shaker

Buy Now →

hawthorne strainer

Buy Now →

Ingredients

While you can use a store-bought hurricane mix, I much prefer to make my own. Here are the real ingredients that go into a traditional Hurricane drink:

• Light rum: Also known as silver rum or white rum, light rum has no color and is light, crisp and great for mixing.
• Dark rum: Dark rum, or black rum, is dark in color and has a caramel flavor. However, you can use any high-quality rum that you have on hand, even spiced rum for more spiced flavor.
• Passion fruit syrup: I have used this Monin passion fruit syrup, but I also like making it with my recipe for passion fruit syrup if you’d like to try making it yourself. In a pinch, you can use passion fruit juice.
• Lemon juice: Fresh-squeezed is best if you can, but the bottled stuff gets the job done too. Substitute lime juice in a pinch.
• Garnishes: To decorate this cocktail, give it a wedge or slice of fresh orange and a cocktail cherry.

hurricane essentials

hurricane glass

Buy Now →

pre-mixed passion fruit syrup

Buy Now →

gold circle cocktail picks

Buy Now →

Best rum for Hurricane drinks

For this recipe I used two kinds of Bacardí rum: Bacardí Dark Rum and Bacardí Silver Rum, but don’t let that limit you! You can really use any high-quality rum that you have on hand — check out my Rum 101 guide for my favorite rum brands.

Try using spiced rum for more spiced flavor or gold rum, which is medium-bodied and slightly stronger than light rum, as it has been aged in oak barrels.

Passion fruit syrup

Passion fruit syrup brings a sweet, exotic taste to this recipe. It’s a passion fruit-flavored version of simple syrup that is so delicious in passion fruit margaritas and martinis, too!

I used this Monin passion fruit syrup, but you can also make your own. Here is my recipe for passion fruit syrup if you’d like to try making it yourself. I’ve found that I enjoy making my own syrup because it’s easy, cost-effective and I get to control the ingredients.

Garnishes

Fresh orange and a cocktail cherry are what are typically found atop this sipper, as they compliment the flavors of the drink. You can also use mint leaves, a slice of lime or a piece of orange peel or zest.

A maraschino cherry will work fine, but I much prefer a bourbon or brandy cherry for cocktails to the saccharine, vibrant maraschinos.

I enjoy making my own cocktail cherries when cherries are in season, but these Jack Rudy cocktail cherries are always in my fridge when I run out of mine.

Variations & substitutions

As always, I want to make sure you are comfortable making any cocktail with other ingredients if needed.

No passion fruit syrup? If needed, you can use passion fruit juice instead of passion fruit syrup. Orange juice or unsweetened pineapple juice will work as well. (The Bacardi Hurricane drink recipe actually includes orange juice along with the passion fruit syrup, so it is fine to use a mix of fruit juices.) If you do use juice, be prepared for your drink to look and taste slightly different than the classic recipe.

Non-alcoholic hurricane cocktail: Swap the rum for a zero-proof option and enjoy a Hurricane mocktail. This is a great option if you’re observing Sober October, Dry January or just trying to consume less alcohol. It also gives designated drivers and guests who prefer to skip the booze a fun option to sip on. There are plenty of zero-proof spirits available on the market — you can even make your own!

Instructions

This is an easy classic cocktail for any at-home bartender to whip up!

Add your light and dark rum, lemon juice and passion fruit syrup to a cocktail shaker. You can reuse your jigger each time, no rinsing needed!

Shake your ingredients with ice until the shaker is cold in your hand. This means your drink is combined and chilled to perfection.

Pour your drink into a Hurricane glass filled with ice cubes. Garnish with a fresh orange slice and a cocktail cherry.

New Orleans food pairings

Wondering what to serve with a Hurricane cocktail for your Mardi Gras Fat Tuesday celebrations? You can’t go wrong with cajun poutine, with plenty of spice to balance the sweetness of the drink. Air fryer okra would be an easy snack for a crowd, paired with these bite-sized mini muffulettas.

When wish you were in NOLA, have cajun shrimp and sausage foil packs for dinner. They’re an easy way to infuse the flavors of the city into everyday life.

Finish off with a sweet treat, the iconic beignet. These soft and chewy fried donuts are dusted in powdered sugar and best enjoyed warm. Let the good times roll!

FAQ

More Mardi Gras cocktails:

• New Orleans Bloody Mary
• Frozen Daiquiris in mango, strawberry and lemon
• Vieux Carré
• Pimm’s Cup