Hurricane Glass
The tall curved glass named after a hurricane lamp, holding around 450ml. It belongs to New Orleans and to tiki, and it is one of the few glasses whose shape is unashamedly about spectacle rather than function.
Alternatives
Budget Alternative
Large curved tumblers or novelty glasses (£4–5): workable for casual use, but lack the classic silhouette.
Premium Option
Libbey Hurricane Glass or Pasabahce Timeless Hurricane (£25–30 per set): consistent shape, good durability, professional-friendly.
Care & Maintenance
Care Instructions
- Hand wash or gentle glassware cycle
- Dry immediately to prevent water marks
- Polish before service: clarity is critical
- Store upright with spacing to protect rims
- Inspect bases regularly for stress cracks
Expected Lifespan
- •Premium glass: 3–5 years with careful handling
- •Standard glass: 2–3 years in professional service
- •Budget glass: 12–18 months before chipping
Usage
The Hurricane itself, Piña Coladas, Zombies, Bahama Mamas and most long tropical drinks over crushed ice. The volume takes a multi-spirit build plus juice plus a full load of ice, with room left for a garnish that sits well above the rim.
Pat O’Brien’s and the Rum Glut
The Hurricane came out of Pat O’Brien’s bar in New Orleans in the early 1940s, and the reason it exists is wartime allocation. Whiskey was scarce and rationed; rum from the Caribbean was abundant and cheap, and distributors forced bars to buy several cases of it to get one case of anything else.
Pat O’Brien’s ended up sitting on rum nobody was ordering, so they built a drink to shift it: rum, passion fruit and lemon, in enormous quantity, poured into a glass shaped like a hurricane lamp.
It worked, the glass took the drink's name, and both became a fixture of the French Quarter. The glass is still sold in the bar as a souvenir.
The Shape
A short stem or a heavy foot, a bulb that swells low and then flares outward at the top. It is a lamp chimney, and the resemblance is the whole reason for the name.
Practically, the flare gives an unusually wide opening for a tall glass, which is what lets a garnish do the work: a pineapple wedge, a cherry, an orange wheel and a paper umbrella all sit in that opening without crowding.
The narrow waist keeps the drink visually tall, which matters when the drink is layered and the point is that you can see the gradient from grenadine at the bottom to juice at the top.
Volume and Ice
Around 450ml, which is a large drink by any standard and is why the Hurricane has the reputation it does. Pat O’Brien’s original ran to four ounces of rum.
Crushed ice is not optional. A tall glass filled with cubes leaves large voids, so the drink sits in gaps rather than being held, and it dilutes unevenly. Crushed ice packs the volume completely, chills faster because of the surface area, and gives a tiki drink its texture.
The trade-off is speed of dilution, which is why these drinks are built strong. A Zombie made to a modern strength in a hurricane glass full of crushed ice is properly balanced by the time you are halfway down.
Buying and Keeping
Look for a thick base. A tall glass with a heavy load of ice and a high centre of gravity is a candidate for going over, and the weight is what saves it.
Glass rather than acrylic, unless it is going near a pool. Acrylic scratches within a fortnight and looks permanently cloudy.
They are awkward to store, being tall, flared and unstackable, so give them a shelf of their own rather than wedging them among tumblers, where the flared rim is the first thing to chip.
Pro Tip
For a classic Hurricane, pack the glass with ice before adding liquid. The curved waist helps hold ice in place while the flared rim leaves space for citrus and cherry garnish, keeping the drink cold and visually balanced.
What to Look For
- Pronounced waist: defines the hurricane profile
- Sturdy base: tall curved glasses tip easily when underbuilt
- Capacity around 450ml: large enough without encouraging excess
- Clear glass: colour and ice are the point
- Durable rim: wide flares chip easily
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Treating hurricanes like highballs: they serve different purposes
- Under-icing: leads to warm, unbalanced drinks
- Overfilling: removes headspace for garnish and aroma
- Using for precision cocktails: shape works against restraint
- Ignoring balance: volume amplifies mistakes
Professional Tips
- Crushed ice, not cubed. It packs and holds the shape.
- Build it in the glass. Most of these drinks are layered.
- Garnish generously. The glass is asking for it.
- Chill before pouring. 450ml warms slowly but starts warm.
Specifications
Material
Glass
Capacity
350–450ml
Details
Curved inward waist with flared rim, tall profile, moderate-to-thick base designed to highlight colour gradients and layered builds
History & Context
The hurricane glass takes its name from the Hurricane cocktail, created in New Orleans in the 1940s. The drink’s popularity, and strength, demanded a vessel that could handle large volumes of ice, fruit, and rum while still looking festive. Its curved shape was inspired by hurricane lamp chimneys, exaggerating colour and movement inside the glass. Over time, the hurricane became shorthand for tropical excess. In modern bars, it’s best used intentionally, where visual drama is part of the brief rather than an accident.
Common Questions
What is a hurricane glass?
A tall curved glass of around 450ml with a short stem and a flared rim, shaped like a hurricane lamp, which is where the name comes from. It is built for long tropical drinks over crushed ice with substantial garnish.
What drinks go in a hurricane glass?
The Hurricane, Piña Colada, Zombie, Bahama Mama and most long tiki builds. Anything multi-spirit, juice-heavy and served over crushed ice, where the volume takes the drink plus a full load of ice plus a garnish standing above the rim.
How much does a hurricane glass hold?
Around 450ml, though they range from about 400 to 600ml. That is a large drink by any measure, which is part of the Hurricane’s reputation. The Pat O’Brien’s original carried four ounces of rum.
Why is it called a hurricane glass?
Because it looks like the glass chimney of a hurricane lamp. The name came with the drink, invented at Pat O’Brien’s in New Orleans in the 1940s to shift the surplus rum that wartime allocation forced bars to buy.