Perfect weekend for a Hurricane Cocktail

One of the most enduring fruity, summertime adult drink is the Hurricane Cocktail, also a favorite during Mardi Gras in New Orleans.

And, what better weekend for it than this one, what with Hurricane Irene creating concern and damage all along the Eastern Seaboard.

As with so many drinks, the precise recipe is argued, with regional preferences abounding In that spirit, I'm offering several variations.

NEW ORLEANS CLASSIC

Yields 10 drinks

10 ounces white rum
10 ounces Jamaican Dark rum
10 ounces Bacardi 151 rum
30 ounces orange juice
30 ounces pineapple juice
5 ounces grenadine syrup

Combine all ingredients and mix well in a chilled pitcher.Serve in large glasses over crushed ice with an orange slice as garnish.

O'BRIEN'S BAR VERSION

Yields 2 drinks

2 ounces light rum
2 ounces dark rum
2 ounces passion fruit juice
1 ounce orange juice
juice of a half a lime
1 tablespoon simple syrup
1 tablespoon grenadine
Orange slice and cherry for garnish

Squeeze juice from half a lime into shaker over ice. Pour the remaining ingredients into the cocktail shaker. Shake well. Strain into a hurricane glass (see shape above). Garnish with a cherry and an orange juice.

THE HURRICANE!

Yields 2 drinks

1 ounce vodka
¼ ounce grenadine syrup
1 ounce gin
1 ounce light rum
½ ounce 151 brand rum (dark añejo rum makes a good substitute)
1 ounce amaretto almond liqueur
1 ounce Triple Sec
grapefruit juice
pineapple juice

Pour all but the juices, in order listed, into a "hurricane" glass three-quarters filled with ice. Fill with equal parts of grapefruit and pineapple juice, and serve.

Note: Rum drinks are famous for a rum "float" on the top. A dark añejo rum such as Brugal makes a nice finishing touch.

To Dowd's Wine Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Brews Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Tasting Notes latest entry.
Back to Dowd's Guides home page.