Landlocked folks do not understand us. They are convinced that anybody who lives in an Atlantic Ocean state pretty much gets what we deserve when Hurricane Season rolls around. I wouldn’t live in Key West for a million bucks,” a friend pontificates. “Do you have a death wish?” asks another. “Are you crazy?”
I remind them of tornados. Over the years, I’ve lived through Hurricane Belle on Cape Cod, then Hurricanes Gloria, Andrew, Alberto, Opal, Erin, Floyd, Charlie, Ivan, Frances, Jeanne, Katrina, Wilma, Dennis and Ernesto. Not one of them was as bad for me personally, as the tornado I experienced in Kalamazoo, Michigan in 1980. Why? Because with tornados you get little or no warning. When a hurricane is coming, you’ve got plenty of time to evacuate, or batten down the hatches and have a little hurricane party.
Since it’s inevitable that you will lose your electricity, many of us Floridians decide to cook up everything we have that could spoil and share it with the neighbors. I could be turning that Boston butt into barbeque while my neighbor is finally grilling up that shark he caught. Across the street, the gal who’s dating the shrimper is making scampi with shrimp as big as lobster. Speaking of lobster, your other neighbor is busting out all the spiny lobster that he caught last season.
But no Hurricane Party is complete without Hurricanes … the tropical rum drink. There are as many recipes for Hurricanes as there are barkeeps that make it. Cocktail legend has it that the Hurricane was originally made by Pat O’Brien of Mr. O’Brien’s Club Tipperary in New Orleans back in the 1940s. The drink got its name because Mr. O’Brien poured his concoction into glasses that resembled the chimney of glass hurricane lanterns. But here in Florida, a Hurricane takes on a whole new meaning.
How to Make a Hurricane: The Supplies
Rum: For most hurricane parties it’s practically a sin to buy any new supplies. The whole point is to use up what’s on hand. Of course, rum doesn’t need refrigeration, even after opening, and makes it a perfect ingredient for your Hurricane Preparedness Kit. The original recipe called for an amber or golden rum, but here in Florida we like any rum, as long as it’s from the Caribbean or Puerto Rico.
Passion Fruit Juice: Floridians can usually find bottled Passion Fruit Juice in the juice aisle at the grocery store. Also, you might find it with the International Foods. But, you could also substitute mango, papaya or pomegranate juice. Or you could buy some passion fruit and juice it yourself, which seems like a lot of work. Actually, when you’re getting ready for a hurricane and a hurricane party, you could even substitute Hawaiian Punch or Tahitian Treat. This drink is so good, no one will care.
Superfine Sugar: Superfine sugar is also called, castor or caster sugar, ultra fine sugar, or bar sugar. If you have some already, that’s great. Or, you can put some regular sugar in a food processor or a blender and give it a whirl. Just let it rest a minute before removing the lid. Another option is to use regular sugar and be patient when dissolving it. But don’t use confectioners or powdered sugar. It usually has a little cornstarch added to it to keep it from clumping and it leaves a cloudy slick across the top of your drink.
Grenadine: Originally a syrup made from pomegranate juice and sugar, very dark red in color. It’s that red liquid that’s used in Roy Rogers, Shirley Temples and stirred through Tequila Sunrises. If you don’t have any, use the juice from a jar of maraschino cherries.
Key Limes: Sweeter and smaller that a Persian lime, we grow them in our backyards. If you aren’t lucky enough to have them in your produce department, you can use whatever lime you can find, as long as it’s fresh.
Garnish: The garnish will rely on what you have around. It can be maraschino cherries and Key Lime Slices. It can be oranges. It can even be big chunks of fresh pineapple or carambolas.
How to Make a Hurricane: The Formula
Now here in Florida, we’re a little laid back. We don’t need a fancy shaker or glasses to serve our Hurricanes in. In fact, you’d be crazy to break out the good glassware with a hurricane bearing down on you. Besides, broken glass can lead to cut feet.
Start with a plastic soda cup and lid like you can get at a convenience store. If you don’t have a stack of those behind the bar, any plastic cup will do.
Combine 3 ounces of rum with ½ cup of passion fruit juice and 2 teaspoons of superfine sugar. Stir until all sugar is dissolved. Stir in 1 teaspoon of grenadine (or maraschino cherry juice) and the juice of one Key Lime. Add ice and garnish with fruit.
How to Make a Hurricane: The Eye of the Storm
Key West Hurricanes are usually imbibed while sitting on a deck facing the water as the sun goes down. The perfect time is usually two or three days before the storm arrives but after you’ve laid in all your other supplies and battened down the hatches.
And then we drink and wait. We wait for the breeze to strengthen. We wait for the smells to change. We watch the water get choppier and the waves get larger. We reassure each other that we’re doing the right thing, either staying or going. We recollect the big ones we’ve lived through. We double check that our friends and neighbors are as ready as we are. We field phone calls from friends and family who call to check up on us and remind us that we’re nuts to live in Florida.
It’s best to drink Key West Hurricanes in the dark, with the moon reflecting off the water.
How to Make a Hurricane: The Accoutrements
Besides friends, what goes with a Key West Hurricane? Bowls of ice cold fruit, like watermelon, cantaloupe and pineapple are always a crowd pleaser. Big salads with crunchy iceberg lettuce will disappear in a flash. Something spicy from the grill like jerked chicken is always tantalizing. Big platters of nachos make great nibbling. If you’re one step ahead of the neighborhood in hurricane preparations, a Key Lime Pie or Lemon Meringue Pie is an exclamation point to a make shift menu. Everything always seems to taste better, crisper, fresher and colder when you think about living off of canned food and tepid water for a couple of weeks.
How to Make a Hurricane: Safe Harbor
There are always those times when it’s absolutely imperative that Floridians evacuate. Most of us know that we can’t stop the damage or the aftermath. So we journey inland and head north. Our friends offer us safe havens, or we find a motel and pretend to be tourists. And in the evenings, we order a Hurricane at a bar and toast our abandoned homes and pray that our neighbors have found safety, too.
