Hurricane

Some gale force winds are about to blow with this category 4 cocktail! So strong, it’s going to put hair on your chest…and if you already have hair on your chest don’t be surprised if you see a little bit more. If you’re looking for a strong, yet refreshing cocktail then the Hurricane might just be for you.

Originally created in New Orleans, the Hurricane came to be as a result of an abundance of rum in the area and the difficulty of finding other spirits at a reasonable price. You can use dark, or light rum (or a combination of the two), but I find the dark rum gives a little bit more depth of flavor to this particular cocktail.

The Hurricane can be adjusted depending on your geographic location, however, the ultimate goal is rum, citrus, and local fruits providing sweetness. I’m taking a little bit more of a classical approach in this post, however in the future will likely experiment with a little bit more Pacific Northwest ingredients, so stay tuned!

How to make a Hurricane

The simple syrup

Start with the simple syrup, as it needs to chill for about an hour before being used. Add half of a cup of water to a small saucepan and bring to a light simmer. Add in one cup of sugar and stir until the sugar is fully dissolved for roughly 3 minutes. Remove from heat and add in the zest of one lime and a half cup of fresh-squeezed lime juice. Place in the refrigerator to cool for at least 1 hour.

The Hurricane

Measure out 3 ounces dark rum, 1-2 tablespoons lime simple syrup, 1-ounce fresh-squeezed orange juice, and 1-ounce passion fruit juice into a pre-chilled cocktail shaker filled halfway with ice. I recommend using a shaker like this for this type of recipe which has lots of different liquids to measure. If you already have a cocktail shaker you like, then a classic jigger should do the trick.

Here’s where the fun begins. Much like Bill’s Famous Martini, cover your shaker and shake the dickens out of it. Shake it until your hands feel so cold that you think your fingers are going to freeze off. Then grab a towel or some oven mitts and shake some more. Some places will say shake two or three times, but no, shake until you can’t shake anymore. You want that drink COLD. Once your arms are officially noodled, I think you’re ready…this drink is so strong that you won’t even remember that you lost the functional use of your arms for a short period of time.

Pour into a tulip-shaped glass (I don’t have any, nobody’s perfect) over ice and garnish with a maraschino cherry and an orange wheel.

Music Recommendation

Maybe it’s a little bit of wordplay, maybe listening to the lyrics will get you into a drinking mood, or maybe the song length (about 8 and a half minutes) is roughly the amount of time you should spend shaking a cocktail in your cocktail shaker, but I find Hurricane by Bob Dylan is a fitting pairing. It’s also one of my favorite songs from an artist who has one of the greatest collections of our time.

Tips

• I’m partly joking about how long to shake and partly serious. You definitely want this cocktail refreshingly cold, though
• If you’re looking for a less “hair on your chest” version, just cut the amount of rum in half
• This is a great cocktail to mix in a big pitcher for your summer barbeques
• As always, drink responsibly