Hurricane Cocktail Recipe – Welcome to the Eye of the Storm

Rum, tropical fruit juices, and ice: As exotic as it may sound, this drink doesn’t have its roots in a Jamaican beach bar. The popular classic originated in New Orleans in the 1940s. Still, the Hurricane Cocktail is one of the all-time tiki favorites and can be found in almost every bar, whether it’s in the city or by the sea.

This cocktail is quite strong, because of its generous amounts of rum. Due to the different juices, you can’t taste the alcohol, which might tempt you to drink it fast. But be careful! This colorful mix packs a punch and is intended for slow and conscious consumption.

Where does the Hurricane Cocktail come from?

Contrary to all expectations, the Tiki cocktail has its origins in an Irish pub called Pat O’Brien’s. In the 1940s, a lot of imported rum was stored in New Orleans. To get rid of it, they came up with the idea of mixing it with various juices, preferably passion fruit.

The original recipe was lost over the years, but it can be assumed that different rums were mixed with lemon and passion fruit juice. Fun Fact: The now famous glass with its bulbous shape is named after the Hurricane Cocktail and not vice versa.

But what is a Tiki cocktail? This type of cocktail is mixed with different rums and fruit juices. The resulting drinks are characterized by being sweet and pretty strong at the same time.

In any case, it depends on the perfect ratio between juice and rum. Besides the Hurricane, the Mai Tai, the Bahama Mama, and the Swimming Pool are also well-known Tiki classics.

Tips for the perfect Hurricane Cocktail

If you want to make the cocktail even more exciting, do not add the grenadine directly to the shaker. You tip it into the glass filled with ice instead. It creates a beautiful gradient effect when you add the cocktail later.

Which rums do I use for the Hurricane Cocktail?

The most important thing in the Hurricane Cocktail is the right combination of white and dark rum.

For white rum, varieties such as the Clement Agricole Blanc, Plantation Three Stars, as well as the German rum brand Revolte Rum Overproof are recommended.

As far as the dark rum category is concerned, the Plantation Xaymaca, Gosling’s Black Seal, the Old Pascas Barbados Dark Rum, or the Pampero Aniversario Rum fit particularly well here.

Those who think that this is too complicated, and who only want a good rum in their drink, can of course only use one variety. In that case, it’s recommended to take a dark rum.

Crushed ice or regular ice cubes?

It is necessary to use ice cubes for the shaker in the preparation. If you were to use crushed ice for the shaking, you could just go ahead and directly add cold water, it would have the same effect. This is due to the fact that the crushed ice will melt while you are stirring the ingredients.

Regular-shaped ice cubes also work better for the glass, since the cocktail shouldn’t water down too quickly. However, a topping of crushed ice can help to slowly cool the drink down without giving off too much water.

Are there variations of the cocktail?

10 cl rum is quite a lot of alcohol. If you want a lighter version, you can switch to the Hurricane Light. It consists of 3 cl white and dark rum, a bar spoon of passion fruit liqueur, and 2 bar spoons of lime juice. Shake everything in a shaker and strain it into a glass.

If you’re looking for a real storm, the Heavy Storm would be the right choice. It only consists of various liqueurs and spirits, except for some orange juice. The exact ingredients are 3 cl each of white rum, dark rum, coconut rum, vodka, gin, strawberry liqueur, and orange liqueur. Cheers!