The Best Hurricane Drink Recipe to make Mini Hurricanes for Mardi Gras.
Table of contents
NEW ORLEANS FOR MARDI GRAS
Mardi Gras is an annual holiday celebration held in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is celebrated on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, the official beginning of Lent. The original Mardi Gras celebration is believed to have been introduced to the area in 1699 by French explorer Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville. Every year, the holiday is celebrated with a spirited two-week long festival that begins on the Friday more than a week before Fat Tuesday. Thousands of tourists from around the world visit New Orleans each year to partake in the festivities. Traditional customs include parades, live music, colorful costumes, beads and masks, and the iconic King Cake. The most popular tradition is the Carnival parade, which features elaborate floats, marching bands, and throws of beads, doubloons, and other trinkets. There are also many parties and events throughout the city leading up to Mardi Gras day. Mardi Gras is one of New Orleans’ most well-known festivals and a beloved part of its culture.
Although Mardi Gras initially started out as a Christian celebration, today it has transcended to become a festival of sorts that all can enjoy. It’s an exuberant and vibrant way to celebrate the unique culture of New Orleans, and drinking is part of that. The hurricane drink is one of New Orleans most famous drinks. Over the years, people have adapted the holiday to fit their culture, incorporating elements from jazz music, masked balls, and voodoo rituals. For many in New Orleans, Mardi Gras is a cherished time for participating in joyous events and remembering their history.
TRADITIONAL HURRICANE DRINK
The Hurricane drink is a popular New Orleans specialty cocktail, typically made with rum, passion fruit syrup, orange juice, and lime juice. It was invented in the 1940s at the historic pat o’brien’s bar in the French Quarter. It quickly grew in popularity among locals and tourists alike, and is now an iconic symbol of New Orleans culture. It has since become a beloved symbol of New Orleans culture and hospitality, and is often referred to as the “Elixir of New Orleans.” When we were in New Orleans for Mardi Gras we saw lots of people on the streets with large glasses of hurricanes, some two feet high. Whether you’re celebrating Mardi Gras or simply enjoying a night out in the Big Easy, the Hurricane is an excellent way to enjoy the city’s hospitable spirit.Today, it is served in a signature Hurricane glass shaped like a hurricane lamp, and it is often garnished with an orange and cherry. Whether you’re in the city for the weekend or a lifetime, sipping on a Hurricane is a must-do for any visit to New Orleans.
THE BEST HURRICANE DRINK RECIPE
We wanted to recreate the hurricane drink for a Mardi Gras party back home, but we wanted to make them better, not bigger. So these are mini hurricanes – Category One hurricanes, if you will. First, we researched what was in the best drinks in New Orleans, and took some tips from famous mixologists. This is the recipe we came up with. It’s made with all the best ingredients, because that’s how you make the best hurricane drink recipe. The traditional drink is served in a very large glass and is usually made with equal parts light rum, dark rum, orange juice and passion fruit juice, with a splash of lime, and enough grenadine to make it look like the sun is setting, and then a maraschino cherry on top.
Best Hurricanes Drink Recipe for Mardi Gras
We used the best ingredients we could find to create this recipe. We started with a trip to the fruit stand to get oranges, passion fruit and limes. The juices were fresh squeezed and strained to remove the seeds.
Instead of the two kinds of rum, light and dark, we went with one really good aged rum, Pompero Aniversario. This made the drinks look darker, but that’s ok, a drink named Hurricane should look dark and stormy. Then we served them in attractive, 4 inch shot glasses, that made it easy to see traditional layers of colors in the drink that make them look like a storm brewing.
The cherries were the Luxardo, the original Maraschino cherries. Then we decided to use the cherry syrup instead of grenadine. Grenadine is traditionally made with pomegranates, and the cherry syrup seemed more appropriate and upscale.
Dark and Stormy Hurricane Drink
CHOOSING BRANDS:
For certain products, the choice of brand will make a big difference in the outcome of the recipe and in your carbon footprint. So, for those products, we have listed the brand. We are not paid to mention a brand and have no affiliates.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces freshly squeezed orange juice chilled
- 2 ounces freshly squeezed passion fruit chilled
- 1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice chilled
- 4 ounces Aniversario rum
- 1 ounce Luxardo cherry syrup
- 4 Luxardo cherries
Instructions
- Mix orange, passion fruit, and lime juice together. Add rum and stir.
- Pour into four glasses. Drizzle cherry syrup slowly down the center of the glasses. It should come to rest on the bottom.
- Spear a cherry with a toothpick or drink swizzle to decorate the top.
Nutrition
WHY THIS RECIPE IS SUSTAINABLE:
Check out the chart on the blog post to see how food choices affect climate change. This recipe uses responsible brands and items that are lower on the chart and the production creates less greenhouse gas.
RELATED POSTS
Photos by Tony Fitzgerald Photography