Compared to this column’s previous subjects (ham, bitters, non-alcoholic beer) you’d figure the Hurricane—a neon red, rum-heavy cocktail, served in a famous glass at the most famous bar in the country’s most famous drinking city—would especially lend itself to something titled “a conversational guide.”
On some level, it does. There’s no dearth of scholarly articles recounting the Hurricane’s origins. No shortage of reddit threads and tiki message boards sharing ways to recreate the New Orleans classic at home. No lack of historical photographs suggesting people enjoy this drinkable lava lamp.
The problem, however, is that much of the lore surrounding this Bourbon Street staple is kind of boring and, worse, just not true. To quote Jim Vorel, a senior drinks writer at Paste Magazine, “Few cocktails have their histories wrongly detailed quite as often as the Hurricane.” Great.
Now this crock of flavorless fiction presents this article with a few options. 1) Evaluate the veracity of the drink’s tallest tales, spinning this into something titled “5 Hurricane Myths Debunked.” Snooze. 2) Chart the history of a primary Hurricane ingredient—like rum or fassionola—to unveil the cocktail’s general evolution. Jim already covered the latter perfectly. Dang. 3) State the drink’s ingredients, accurately (and briefly) summarize its history, then share the most unserious photo collection of New Orleans tourists gleefully sipping Hurricanes into what I could only imagine were the wee hours of the night. Yes—yes, of course.
What’s in a Hurricane?
A Hurricane has three ingredients: Rum, citrus, and fassionola—a passion fruit-based syrup reminiscent of Hawaiian Punch. Unfortunately, we don’t have recipes on our site for the cocktail itself, or fassionola. However at famed New Orleans bar Pat O’Brien’s, the world’s leading Hurricane purveyor, the recipe is simply four ounces of rum and four ounces of “Pat O’Brien’s passion fruit mix” stirred over ice. The mix is a combination of citrus and fassionola.
Cool. But why’s it called a Hurricane?
Pat O’Brien’s lore says the drink’s named after the glass it’s served in—which is colloquially known as a “hurricane glass” because of its similarity to the “hurricane lamp.” However, per Jim’s reporting, the name likely stems from the 1937 film The Hurricane, a movie that inspired people, like Donn Beach, to further develop “tropical” bars and cocktails throughout the country.
Wait, so did Pat O’Brien’s even invent the Hurricane?
Probably not. Despite numerous articles stating that Pat O’s created the drink in the early 1940s, evidence suggests that another bartender was slinging a cocktail named with rum, citrus, and fassionola named “the Hurricane” a few years prior at the 1940 New York World’s Fair.
Got it. So why’s this thing famous?
As mentioned in the introduction: It’s a landmark bar’s signature cocktail. That goes a long way. Also, it’s infamously strong—or as this 2008 YouTube review puts it, “the cocktail equivalent of rocket fuel”—and people seem to really like that.
Can I make a Hurricane at home?
Definitely. This recipe’s great. Plus, it doesn’t ask you to obtain or make fassionola, both of which can be a chore.
What about that unserious photo collection?
Thought you’d never ask. Here’s part one. Next is part two. Finally, part three.
Is there another niche food topic you’d like me to unpack next? Let me know in the comments below.
