In 1942, Pat O’Brien’s invented the Hurricane — a potent rum and passion fruit punch served in a 29-ounce glass shaped like a hurricane lamp that was designed to use up the excess rum that liquor distributors required bar owners to purchase before they could buy whiskey. Eighty-plus years later, the recipe hasn’t changed, the courtyard flambeaux fountain still burns, and ‘going to Pat O’s’ remains the single most non-negotiable activity on any New Orleans trip. The Spanish-colonial compound at 718 St. Peter Street holds three bars — the main bar, the piano bar with dueling pianists running show tunes and requests until 4 AM, and the legendary courtyard bar where the Hurricanes flow without apology.
