Glassware

Hurricane Glass

A hurricane glass is a tall, curved glass on a short stem, 42cl in our shop, modelled on the chimney of a hurricane lamp. It holds long rum drinks over crushed ice, with a fruit garnish standing at the rim. The Hurricane, the Rum Runner, the Bahama Mama and blended drinks such as the Piña Colada all go in one.

See all bar equipment

An empty hurricane glass with a rounded lower bowl, a narrow waist and a flared rim, on a short stem and round foot, against a white background.

The tool

About the Hurricane Glass

We Make One

A 42cl hurricane glass on a short stem, sold singly or as a pair.

Hurricane Cocktail Glass, 42cl

A Glass Named After a Lamp

A hurricane lamp is a candle or oil lamp inside a tall glass chimney that keeps the flame out of the wind. The glass copies that chimney: a bulb low down, a narrow waist and a flared rim, set on a short stem.

The shape is mostly about display. The curve shows off bright and layered drinks, and the flared rim gives space for a wedge of pineapple, an orange slice and a cherry at once.

Pat O'Brien's Had Rum to Sell

Pat O’Brien’s, in the New Orleans French Quarter, gets the credit for the Hurricane cocktail in the 1940s, and its own history tells how rum was plentiful while war work made domestic liquor scarce. Distributors, the story goes, would supply scarce whiskies only to bars that also took cases of rum, and the new drink moved the surplus.

Pat O'Brien's poured it into lamp-shaped glasses, which came to share its name. The Oxford Companion, a secondary source, records a Hurricane Punch in a 1941 Ronrico booklet, made to a quite different recipe, so the name is not the bar’s alone.

Crushed Ice and Room at the Top

Our recipes for this glass shake the drink with cubed ice, then strain it onto crushed ice already packed in the glass. The Hurricane is 120ml of rum with passion fruit, lime and orange; the Rum Runner and the Bahama Mama are a little smaller, at about 220ml before shaking.

Our shop’s 42cl glass takes the smaller drinks with room for fruit at the rim. The Hurricane fills it to the brim, and our guidance for that drink is a glass of about 50cl.

Hurricane glass against other tall tropical glasses (hurricane from our shop; tiki mug from Urban Bar’s listing; the rest our guidance)

Hurricane

Usual size: 42cl (our shop)
Shape: Curved bulb, flared rim, short stem
Typical drinks: Hurricane, Rum Runner, Piña Colada

Zombie

Usual size: Taller and narrower than a hurricane
Shape: Tall, straight and narrow
Typical drinks: Zombie and other tall rum builds

Sling

Usual size: About 40cl (our guidance)
Shape: Footed, opening gently at the rim
Typical drinks: Singapore Sling, Gin Sling

Tiki mug

Usual size: 50cl (Urban Bar)
Shape: Sculpted ceramic, opaque
Typical drinks: Scorpion, Three Dots and a Dash

Glass	Usual size	Shape	Typical drinks
Hurricane	42cl (our shop)	Curved bulb, flared rim, short stem	Hurricane, Rum Runner, Piña Colada
Zombie	Taller and narrower than a hurricane	Tall, straight and narrow	Zombie and other tall rum builds
Sling	About 40cl (our guidance)	Footed, opening gently at the rim	Singapore Sling, Gin Sling
Tiki mug	50cl (Urban Bar)	Sculpted ceramic, opaque	Scorpion, Three Dots and a Dash

A Heavy Foot Keeps It Standing

A tall glass full of crushed ice and juice is top-heavy, and weight at the base is what keeps it upright on a crowded table.

The flared rim chips first. Store them upright on a shelf with space between them, never nested, and check the rim before you pour.

Using it

Using the Hurricane Glass

Usage

Long rum drinks poured over crushed ice after a hard shake, such as the Hurricane, the Rum Runner and the Bahama Mama, and blended drinks like the Piña Colada and the Strawberry Daiquiri. Our shaken hurricane drinks run to 200 to 255ml before shaking.

Pro Tip

Pack the glass with crushed ice and freeze it while you shake. A frosted glass keeps crushed ice from turning to slush before the garnish goes on.

Professional Tips

Pack the glass with crushed ice first, then shake the drink.
Strain it onto the ice the moment the shaking stops.
Leave room at the rim for fruit and a straw.
Chill it in the freezer if there is space; crushed ice melts fast.

Alternatives

Budget Alternative

A large straight-sided tumbler of 40cl or more holds the same drink. It loses the shape, not the function.

Premium Option

A heavier glass with a thick foot and a fine rim. It stands steadier when full; the drink tastes no different.

Specifications

Material
Glass
Capacity
42cl in our shop; our guidance for the Hurricane itself is about 50cl
Details
A bulb that swells low, narrows at the waist and flares at the rim, on a short stem and round foot

Go further

More to explore

Common Questions

What is a hurricane glass?

A tall glass, 42cl in our shop, that swells at the bottom, narrows at the waist and flares at the rim, on a short stem. It is called after the hurricane lamp it resembles, and it is used for long tropical drinks over crushed ice.

What drinks go in a hurricane glass?

Long rum drinks shaken with cubes and poured over crushed ice, such as the Hurricane, the Rum Runner and the Bahama Mama, and blended drinks like the Piña Colada, the Banana Daiquiri and the Strawberry Daiquiri. Any juice-heavy drink of about 200ml with a fruit garnish suits it.

How much does a hurricane glass hold?

Our shop’s is 42cl, and sizes vary by maker. Our Rum Runner and Bahama Mama come to about 220ml before shaking, which fits a 42cl glass over crushed ice. The Hurricane, at 255ml, fills one to the rim and sits more comfortably in a larger glass.

Why is it called a hurricane glass?

Because it copies the tall chimney of a hurricane lamp. The name is tied to the Hurricane cocktail, credited to Pat O’Brien’s in New Orleans during the 1940s by the bar’s own history, which says it went into a glass shaped like a hurricane lamp.

Crushed or cubed ice in a hurricane glass?

Crushed. It packs the curved bowl evenly, so the drink is cold all the way up, and it melts faster, which softens a strong rum drink as you go. Cubes stack with gaps in a curved bowl, and the drink sits warm in them.

Hurricane glass or zombie glass?

Both hold long rum drinks over crushed ice. The zombie glass is straight, tall and narrow; the hurricane is curved, on a stem, with a wide rim for fruit. Use the hurricane where the garnish is generous, and the zombie for a slim, tall build.

Can I serve a Piña Colada in a hurricane glass?

Yes, and it is the usual glass for one. A blended Piña Colada is thick and holds its own shape, so it needs no extra ice in the glass. Pour it in, add a pineapple wedge and a cherry at the rim, and serve it with a straw.

Sources.

Checked between 18 October and 19 October 2026.

Pat O’Brien’s, “Our History” (the bar’s own account of the Hurricane in the 1940s).
The Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails (Chuck Taggart), “The Hurricane” (secondary source: introduced at Pat O’Brien’s; Louis Culligan; the 1941 Ronrico “Hurricane Punch” in a special blue glass; served in a glass shaped like the chimney of an old hurricane lantern).
Jerry Can Spirits shop, “Hurricane Cocktail Glass, 42cl”.
Urban Bar, “Lono Tiki Tropical Cocktail Mug 50cl”.
Difford’s Guide, “Hurricane” (secondary source: named after the shape of a hurricane lamp; thought to date from 1939 at The Hurricane Bar, New York; made famous at Pat O’Brien’s).