Our Hurricane drink recipe is so simple to make at home using the most classic cocktail ingredients. It represents the fun and flirty mood of New Orleans at Mardis Gras, with a carnival of fruity flavors and the sweet-and-spicy kick of rum. Subtle is not the word to describe this bright red cocktail as this party-in-a-glass drink is guaranteed to get your guests dancing.
Hurricane Drink Recipe
PREP TIME 10 min
QUICK TIPS
INSTRUCTIONS
01
Add all the ingredients into a shaker (or mason jar) with ice and shake until well-chilled
02
Strain into a hurricane or hi-ball glass over fresh ice
03
Garnish and enjoy
How to make the best Hurricane Cocktail
Once you have all the Hurricane drink ingredients gathered, the rest is so easy! This cocktail is bursting with fruity flavors, from zingy citrus notes to delectable passion fruit, and these tasty juices get shaken together with white and dark rum, bright red grenadine, and sweet orange juice for a long drink that gets better with each sip.
It is traditionally garnished with a slice of orange and a maraschino cherry (just in case you need any more fruit in there!), which is said to mimic Mardis Gras décor. As the saying goes in New Orleans, ‘beads and bling, it’s a Mardis Gras thing’ so bling up your cocktail with cherries on a toothpick, a paper umbrella, and colorful straws to really get into the carnival mood.
What makes the Hurricane cocktail bright red?
Hurricane Cocktail ingredients include grenadine syrup that tints our cocktail a bright punch color. Coming from the word grenade, French for pomegranate, grenadine is a very sweet French syrup made from pomegranate juice. Make your own homemade version by mixing a dash of pomegranate juice with a simple syrup or use the juice from your jar of maraschino cherries. For more rainbow color options, swap out grenadine for blue curaçao or green basil syrup—the possibilities are endless.
When is the best time to serve a Hurricane drink?
If New Orleans is out of reach, bring the Mardis Gras festivities home instead. If you’re hosting a housewarming, garden, or pool party, make a big batch of this Hurricane drink recipe in a large pitcher or punch bowl. Hurricanes also make perfect after-dinner cocktails. Chill the mixture well and add lots of ice to serve. For a delicious mocktail for alcohol-free guests, leave out the rum and top up with sparkling water or soda instead.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
The Hurricane Cocktail got its name in the 1940s at Pat O'Brien's, a family-owned bar in New Orleans. It was World War II and whiskey was hard to come by, so Mr. O’Brien, ever the wartime entrepreneur, experimented with the next best readily available spirit instead. Rum was available in surplus, hence the double measures in the Hurricane cocktail. It was served in glasses that resembled hurricane lamps, curved at the base. And so, the Hurricane Cocktail came to life.
Yes, for sure, a classic Hurricane cocktail should be bright red in color! The bright punch of color comes from the grenadine, which is there to sweeten the drink.
The Hurricane cocktail heroes two types of rum, combining light and dark varieties to get a unique sweet and toasted flavor. Light or white rum is considered a young spirit and is clear in color. Dark rum has been aged for much longer and has a stronger depth of woody caramel flavor. The color and density of flavor will vary with age, so choose your personal favorite to make the Hurricane cocktail extra tasty.
If you’re a spiced rum fan, you can absolutely use it in this Hurricane drink recipe. Adding a spiced rum creates a delicious twist to the sweet cocktail and enhances the fruity flavors.
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