Frozen Hurricane
A frozen New Orleans Hurricane: light and dark rum, passion fruit, orange, lime and grenadine — sized for Margaritaville machines.
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The Hurricane is the signature drink of Pat O’Brien’s in New Orleans’ French Quarter, dating to the 1940s, and named for the curvy glass it’s served in. Passion fruit is the defining flavor.
Our frozen version keeps the classic light-plus-dark rum split and lands at 12½ ounces of liquid for a three-drink batch. It’s a natural for Mardi Gras.
Frozen Hurricane recipe
Ingredients (3 drinks)
- 2 oz light rum
- 2 oz dark rum
- 4 oz passion fruit juice (or 2 oz passion fruit syrup + 2 oz water)
- 2 oz orange juice
- 1½ oz fresh lime juice
- 1 oz grenadine (paid link)
Plus: a full ice reservoir. Garnish: Orange slice, cherry. Glass: Hurricane glass.
Instructions
- Fill the ice reservoir.
- Add all ingredients to the jar.
- Run the cycle.
- Garnish with an orange slice and a cherry.
How much to make in your machine
Every Margaritaville frozen concoction maker is designed around a particular volume of liquid — the shaver portions ice for it. The table scales this recipe to the margarita liquid volume printed in each model’s manual (Key West DM1000 / DM1946 3 × 12 oz drinks: 9.75 fl oz; Bahamas DM0500 / Fiji DM2000 3 × 12 oz drinks: 13 fl oz; Tahiti DM3000 per 24 oz jar: 8.67 fl oz; Bali DM3500 half chamber: 11 fl oz; Bali DM3500 full chamber: 22 fl oz). Amounts are rounded to the nearest ¼ or ⅓ oz.
| Ingredient | Key West DM1000 / DM19463 × 12 oz drinks | Bahamas DM0500 / Fiji DM20003 × 12 oz drinks | Tahiti DM3000per 24 oz jar | Bali DM3500half chamber | Bali DM3500full chamber |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| light rum | 1½ oz | 2 oz | 1⅓ oz | 1¾ oz | 3½ oz |
| dark rum | 1½ oz | 2 oz | 1⅓ oz | 1¾ oz | 3½ oz |
| passion fruit juice (or 2 oz passion fruit syrup + 2 oz water) | 3 oz | 4¼ oz | 2¾ oz | 3½ oz | 7 oz |
| orange juice | 1½ oz | 2 oz | 1⅓ oz | 1¾ oz | 3½ oz |
| fresh lime juice | 1¼ oz | 1½ oz | 1 oz | 1⅓ oz | 2⅔ oz |
| grenadine | ¾ oz | 1 oz | ⅔ oz | 1 oz | 1¾ oz |
Scaling is our calculation, not a manufacturer recipe. Fruit- and ice-cream-heavy drinks vary more; adjust with the Shave Only / Blend Only controls. The Key West DM1900 isn’t listed because we haven’t verified its manual yet.
Machine notes for this drink
- This batch uses about 12.5 fl oz of liquid for 3 drinks. If your drink comes out watery, the manuals’ first fix is to follow the recipe volumes or manually shave more ice; if it’s too stiff, add liquid and Blend Only.
Why this recipe works
Passion fruit is intensely tart and aromatic; orange and grenadine sweeten it, and the dark rum gives a molasses depth that makes it taste like more than fruit punch.
About coladas, tiki & rum drinks
Tropical rum drinks lean on pineapple, coconut, passion fruit and citrus. Cream of coconut is the secret to a smooth colada; it adds fat that keeps shaved ice silky. Most of these recipes include two or more juices, which makes them lower in alcohol per ounce than they taste — but the rum still adds up across a batch.
Tips for the best texture
- Real passion fruit juice or purée tastes far better than red-dye Hurricane mixes.
- Add grenadine to the jar — unlike green drinks, red blends fine here.
- Float a little extra dark rum for show.
- These are strong; four ounces of rum across three drinks.
- Never put anything but ice in the ice reservoir, and don’t fill the jar past its maximum line — both are warnings in every manual.
- Too thin? Hold the toggle in Shave Only for a few seconds, then Blend Only to mix it in. Too thick? Add an ounce of liquid and Blend Only.
Serving & make-ahead
Garnish with orange slice, cherry and serve in a hurricane glass. Tropical drinks shine with big garnishes — pineapple wedges, orange wheels, cherries on a pick and a paper umbrella. Hurricane glasses or tiki mugs hold the larger pours. For a crowd, a Tahiti lets you run a colada, a rum punch-style drink and a virgin version side by side.
Variations
- Mix version: Use 6 oz Hurricane mix in place of juices and grenadine.
- Mango Hurricane: Use mango nectar for half the passion fruit.
- Spiced: Swap dark rum for spiced rum.
Mocktail swap
Replace both rums with 4 oz pineapple juice.
Shop the ingredients
- Rose's Grenadine Syrup (paid link)
- Libbey Cool Cocktails Island Hurricane Glasses, 15 oz, set of 6 (paid link)
We link to mixers, syrups and juices only — alcohol isn’t sold through these links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Frequently asked questions
Where was the Hurricane invented?
It is credited to Pat O’Brien’s bar in New Orleans in the 1940s.
Passion fruit substitute?
Mango or guava nectar plus extra lime.
Why the name?
It was served in a glass shaped like a hurricane lamp.
How much ice should I put in the machine?
Fill the ice reservoir with ice cubes — the machine shaves the amount it needs for the cycle (dial models size it to the 1, 2 or 3-drink setting). The manuals recommend ice that has been out of the freezer for 10–15 minutes.
Will this work in a regular blender?
Yes — add about 1½–2 cups of ice per 12 oz drink and blend until smooth. The texture will be coarser than shaved ice.
Please drink responsibly. Alcoholic recipes are for adults of legal drinking age (21+ in the US). Never drink and drive.
