A symbol of Bourbon Street debauchery, The Hurricane was invented at Pat O’Brien’s, a New Orleans institution since 1933. “Legend has it that it was created in the 1940s when domestic spirits like whiskey were scarce but Caribbean rum was plentiful, so distributors essentially told their accounts that if they wanted the good stuff like bourbon, they had to buy large quantities of rum, too,” writes Neal Bodenheimer, founder of New Orleans bar Cure and author of a book by the same name, Cure: New Orleans Drinks and How to Mix ’Em. “The Hurricane was created as a way to move the cases of rum that were collecting dust.”
This version from bartender Kirk Estinopal of New Orleans’ Cane & Table skips the premade mix in favor of a DIY Hurricane syrup. The syrup will keep, stored airtight in the refrigerator, for up to 1 month. You can also substitute a high-quality fassionola, a tropical fruit syrup that is often used in tiki drinks. Either way, serve with a cocktail umbrella and a straw.
Ingredients
For the syrup:
- ½ cup passion fruit purée or pulp
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 Tbsp. pomegranate molasses
- 1 Tbsp. guava jelly, preferably Goya, cut into small pieces
- ¼ oz. dried hibiscus flowers
For the cocktail:
- 1½ oz. white rum, preferably Don Q “Cristal” blanco
- ½ oz. aged rum, preferably Appleton 12-year
- ¾ oz. fresh lime juice
- Dehydrated or fresh orange slice, for serving
Instructions
Step 1
Make the syrup: In a small pot set over medium heat, combine the passion fruit purée and 1 cup water, and cook until gently steaming, 3 minutes. Add the sugar and pomegranate molasses, and stir until dissolved. Add the guava jelly and stir until dissolved. Remove from the heat and stir in the hibiscus. Allow to cool to room temperature, about 1 hour, then strain the syrup and transfer to a nonreactive container. You should have about 1 cup syrup.
Step 2
Make the cocktail: To a cocktail shaker filled halfway with ice, add the rums, lime juice, and ¾ ounce syrup, and shake until chilled. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a hurricane glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with the orange slice and serve.