I think it’s against the law to leave New Orleans without having had a hurricane at Pat O’Brien’s. I didn’t want to get arrested, or buck a trend, so I headed off to the famous establishment to partake of this famous drink.
It was about 9pm on a Saturday night and the place was already hoppin’. The courtyard was filled with revelers – many in St. Patrick’s Day garb – and most were already drunk. But they weren’t an obnoxious kind of drunk, which surprised me. My friend and I sauntered straight up to the bar and ordered our drink. It was served to us in a "to-go" cup, which I’ve only seen in a few cities in the US. (Basically, there are no open container laws in New Orleans, but you can’t take the drink out of the restaurant in a glass container.) I was a bit disappointed, because I wanted mine in the real hurricane glass. So, I paid an extra $3 (the drink was $8) to take the hurricane glass home with me (now THAT was interesting - getting it on the plane and home without breaking it.). I think the first sip killed any taste buds I had – it was pretty strong. After a few more sips, it started to taste good. Heck, it was a tradition, right? Needless to say, I couldn’t finish it – but my friend made sure not to waste any.
While all of this liquoring up was going on, a nice couple seated at one of the patio tables left and gave us their seats. We sat there for a good hour talking, listening to the music, watching the fire fountain (see the photo), and people-watching (this is a great place for it.) When we left, we paid it forward and offered our seats to another standing couple.
This is one of those things that you just have to do to have a full New Orleans experience. I thought it was quite fun, but I was a bit buzzed, so I’m sure that clouded my judgment.