Classic cocktail · Guided recipe

Hurricane

New Orleans’ big red party drink: light and dark rum with passion fruit, citrus and a little grenadine. Fruity, boozy and dangerously easy.

Preparation~3 minEasyStrengthMediumabout 17% ABVMethodShaken11 guided stepsIngredients6Hurricane glass (or tall glass)

Tropical

In the glassWhite rum · Dark rum · Passion fruit purée · Orange juice · Fresh lime juice · +1 more

See exact amounts

Make it with guidanceOne clear action at a time, with timers built in.

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What goes in

Ingredients

An empty clear hurricane glass with a tall curved bowl, flared rim and short stem. — Serving glassHurricane glass

Set up before you pour

Use a hurricane glass.

The tall curved bowl holds crushed ice and a generous tropical serve while leaving room for garnish.

Standard size: 440 ml15 oz
Ice & serve: Fill it with fresh ice cubes.
If you don’t own one: Use a highball or any tall glass with enough capacity.

Tools to set out

cocktail shaker
strainer (or a small sieve)
jigger or measuring spoon

Compare all glass types

Scale to your hurricane glass (or tall glass)We’ll remember this glass size.

White rum30 ml
Dark rum30 ml
Passion fruit purée30 ml
Orange juice30 ml
Fresh lime juice15 ml
Grenadine8 ml

Start making

From bottle to glass

Method

01
Measure into the shaker
Pour 30 ml white rum into your shaker
- White rum
02
Measure into the shaker
Add 30 ml dark rum
- Dark rum
03
Measure into the shaker
Add 30 ml passion fruit purée
- Passion fruit purée
04
Measure into the shaker
Add 30 ml orange juice
- Orange juice
05
Measure into the shaker
Add 15 ml fresh lime juice
- Fresh lime juice
06
Measure into the shaker
Add 8 ml grenadine
- Grenadine
07
Ice the shaker
Fill the shaker with ice
Why it mattersFill it right up — more ice chills faster with less watering down.
08
Seal and shake
Seal and shake hard
Why it mattersCold hands mean it’s working. Shake until the tin frosts over.
09
Ice the glass
Fill your glass with fresh ice
10
Strain cleanly
Strain into your glass
Why it mattersPour through the strainer so the spent shaker ice stays behind.
11
Finish the drink
Finish it — add an orange slice and a cocktail cherry

Know your drink

About the Hurricane

A Daiquiri, minty rum highball and dark rum rocks drink at a sunset terrace bar.

Rum they couldn't sell

Pat O'Brien's in the French Quarter tells the story this way: during the war, whiskey was rationed and distributors would only sell it to bars that took rum by the case alongside it. Something had to be done with all that rum. Hence a tall sweet drink poured into a glass shaped like a hurricane lamp, which is where the name comes from.

Fresh lime is what keeps this from tasting like a snow cone. Bar mixes lean hard on sweetened concentrate, and with four ounces of rum in a 20-ounce glass you need real acid to hold the line. Split the rum: a light Puerto Rican style for volume, a funky Jamaican for the aroma that comes off the top. Crushed ice, packed to the rim.

Common questions

Hurricane FAQ

What makes a real Hurricane red?

Passion fruit plus a modest pour of grenadine — not the fluorescent premade mix Bourbon Street serves by the gallon. Made fresh, it’s a serious tiki-adjacent sour: dark rum depth, tart passion fruit, and a slow, pleasant burn.

What ingredients are in a Hurricane?

A classic Hurricane calls for 30 ml (1 oz) White rum, 30 ml (1 oz) Dark rum, 30 ml (1 oz) Passion fruit purée, 30 ml (1 oz) Orange juice, 15 ml (0.5 oz) Fresh lime juice, 8 ml (0.25 oz) Grenadine. That single-serve spec scales cleanly — the recipe above converts it to oz and multiplies it for 2–4 drinks.

How strong is a Hurricane?

A standard Hurricane is roughly 17% ABV once mixed (before ice melt softens it further). That makes it about as strong as a glass of wine.

Is a Hurricane shaken or stirred?

A Hurricane is shaken — the rule of thumb is to shake anything with citrus juice. About 13 seconds with plenty of ice chills and dilutes it correctly.

What glass do you serve a Hurricane in?

Serve a Hurricane in a hurricane glass, over fresh ice cubes.

How many calories are in a Hurricane?

One Hurricane has approximately 190 calories, estimated from the standard spec above. Bigger pours, extra syrup or sweetened mixers raise that number quickly.

Sharpen the technique