Pat O’Brien’s Bar

Amidst New Orleans’ strong history, culture and tradition that have been influenced by continental Europe, it is illogical not to expect a bit of Irish influence. And so, Pat O’Brien’s on St Peter Street supplies that in oodles. It began life as a speakeasy during Prohibition, but soon became a bar once it was lifted in the 1930s. However, it was in the mid 1940s the bar shot to fame with its Hurricane cocktail, when traders were forced to buy rum when whiskey and cognac were in short supply. Served in its signature hurricane lamp glass, from which it draws its name, the cocktail uses copious amounts of rum and Hurricane mix which includes fruity syrups, Peychaud’s bitters, brandy, and lemon juice among other things.