It originated in New Orleans, Louisiana back in the 1940's. During that time, distilleries were being replaced with manufacturing, so in order to get a case of whiskey, bar owners would have to order an extraordinarily large amount of cases of rum. Of course the bar owners needed to find a way to sell all that rum, and this legendary rum cocktail was created. Pat O'Brien's bar is known to be the bar that created the hurricane cocktail.