At this time of year there is a proliferation of seasonally inspired food and drink. Pumpkin this and spiced that. Putting my personal detest of Pumpkins aside, sometimes it’s easy for one’s palate to become saturated by the heavy, spice-driven drinks. A warm hot toddy certainly has its place, but this week’s offering is for those in search of something fresh yet classic; The Hurricane. If you are in the mood for something tropical but are tired of Mai Tai's and Singapore Slings, give this cocktail a try.
Meteorological puns aside, the Hurricane is a refreshingly fruity yet strong cocktail that has faded from popularity over the past decade or so. The main constituents of the drink are rum, passion fruit syrup and fresh lime juice. Unfortunately the drink has gained a poor reputation as an overly sweet alcoholic punch. This is exacerbated by the prevalence of instant Hurricane ‘mixes’ available – just add liquor and juice – and mass market bartending in tourist bars.
The creation of this relative of the Daiquiri is credited to Pat O'Brien, a bar owner in New Orleans. He is reported to have invented the cocktail in 1939, or the early 1940s, during World War II when Scotch Whisky was difficult to obtain. The proximity of New Orleans to the Caribbean, however, made rum much more easy to procure. Rumor has it that liquor wholesalers required their customers to purchase many cases of rum before allowing them to buy the precious Scotch. The Hurricane cocktail was an inventive solution to get through their
vast surplus of rum. The concoction was poured into glasses shaped like hurricane lamps and sold to sailors. The drink caught on, and it has been part of the Louisiana culture ever since.
Like many drinks created so long ago, the Hurricane recipe has evolved and been modified over time. The true original Hurricane recipe is impossible to determine. However, I believe the classic Hurricane to be made of four basic ingredients; light rum, dark rum, passion fruit syrup, and freshly squeezed lime juice. Many bars like to add a variety of fruit juices, syrups and grenadine. Midweek Libations recommends the following recipe: 
Fill a Boston shaker with plenty of ice and add 2 measures each of light and dark rum, 1 measure of freshly squeezed lime juice and a good measure and a half of passion fruit syrup. Do not use lime flavored cordial or Rose’s lime juice. Shake the contents vigorously and pour into a tall Hurricane or highball glass. Fresh passion fruit juice may be used instead with the addition of a splash of simple syrup.
I prefer not to add other juices or grenadine as there is a danger of creating a sickly sweet generic fruit punch. If the resulting drink is well balanced, though, I would not rule out the careful addition of grenadine and freshly squeezed orange juice.
Garnish with a long twist of orange peel and a maraschino cherry. Enjoy!
Thank you RJH! If you have missed any of the past Midweek Libations, you can catch them all HERE . xoxoxox.
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