FOOD NEWS
The Origin Story Of New Orleans' Hurricane Drink
BY JOHN TOLLEY
A Hurricane cocktail is a high-octane, rum-and-fruit juice libation that is one of the most famous drinks in New Orleans, a city famous for its cocktail culture and spirited past.
Traditionally, the Hurricane is attributed to New Orleans bar Pat O'Brien's, where it was invented after Prohibition when domestic whiskies and spirits were in short supply.
Imports, such as rum, were in excess and relatively cheap, so Pat O'Brien, his partner, and a rum salesman invented the drink in the 1940s to make use of the affordable spirit.
The Hurricane is usually served in an elongated tulip glass that resembles a wind-proof hurricane lamp. It combines rum, grenadine, passion fruit juice, and lemon juice.
Though Pat O'Brien's Bar has a strong claim on the invention, a few other theories hint that O'Brien may have drawn inspiration from a New York-based bartender, Monte Proser.
During the 1939 World's Fair, Proser served his signature cocktail, the Hurricane, in a venue decked out in an island paradise theme called the Hurricane Bar.
O'Brien may also have been experimenting with a much older drink, Planter's Punch, which combines rum and fruit juice and is a drink New Orleans customers would know well.