The recipe
for your table
Shake rum, pineapple juice, orange juice, and cream of coconut firmly with ice.
Pour into a tiki glass or tall glass filled with crushed ice.
Grate plenty of fresh nutmeg over the top - this is the signature.
Garnish with a pineapple wedge.
The story
In the 1970s, Daphne Henderson ran the Soggy Dollar Bar on Jost Van Dyke, a bay without a dock: visitors swam to the bar and paid with waterlogged dollars - hence the name. Her house cocktail became legendary among sailors. Charles Tobias of rum brand Pusser's tasted it, couldn't get the exact recipe out of her, made his own version, and - to the dismay of many a bartender - even registered the name 'Painkiller' as a trademark, linked to Pusser's Rum. The cocktail itself paid no attention and conquered the global tiki scene.
The right glass
On Jost Van Dyke, you get it in a simple cup, but the Painkiller deserves better: a tiki mug or pineapple glass from 44 to 50 cl, filled with plenty of crushed ice. The relief on a good tiki mug also makes it comfortable to hold with wet swimmer's hands - entirely in keeping with the setting. Pair it with a nutmeg grater on the table for a theatrical finish. If a tiki mug doesn't fit in your cupboard, choose a tall model from our hurricane glasses.
Tiki Pineapple Glass 50 cl
Tiki Mug Fu Manchu 43.5 cl
Together € 40,90.
The right tools
For a Painkiller, besides the glass you need a shaker, a jigger for precise measuring, a citrus juicer, and a nutmeg grater. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glassware set (our choice 01) + 4 bar tools - together € 65,75.
Variations & twists
The numbers on the Soggy Dollar menu (2, 3 or 4) refer to the amount of rum - choose your own pain threshold. Blended with ice, it becomes a tropical smoothie. The official version calls for Pusser's Rum, but any full-bodied dark rum works perfectly well. Looking for more inspiration? Browse more than 100 cocktail recipes.
Serving tip
The nutmeg must be freshly grated: from a jar, it is dust; from a nut, it is perfume. Classic ratio to remember: 4-1-1 (pineapple, orange, coconut) with a generous rum base.
Painkiller 2, 3 or 4: how much rum
The numbers on the menu at the Soggy Dollar Bar on Jost Van Dyke indicate the number of ounces of rum, or approximately 3, 6 and 9 cl. Painkiller 2 with 6 cl is the standard and the version in our recipe; the 4 with 9 cl is enough to keep you occupied all afternoon. The amount of juice remains the same in all three: 10 cl pineapple juice, 3 cl orange juice and 3 cl coconut cream. Start with the 2 and only then decide whether you want more, because the fruit almost completely masks the rum.
Painkiller or Piña Colada
Both are creamy and tropical, but they work differently. The Piña Colada goes through the blender with white rum, coconut cream and pineapple juice, emerging from the glass like a thick smoothie. The Painkiller is shaken rather than blended, uses dark rum and adds 3 cl orange juice, making it thinner, fresher and much less sweet. Its true signature is the freshly grated nutmeg on top, which the Colada lacks. Anyone who finds the Colada too heavy will often prefer the Painkiller.
Which rum to use if you don't have Pusser's
Pusser's Navy Rum is specified in the official recipe and has 54.5 percent alcohol with a rich, molasses-forward flavor. If you don't have it, choose a full-bodied dark rum from Jamaica or Guyana with at least 40 percent alcohol and clear notes of cane sugar and caramelized sugar. White rum disappears completely behind the fruit and is a waste of effort here. A golden rum works as a middle ground, although you will miss some of the depth. To get close to the original, mix 4 cl dark rum with 2 cl overproof rum.
Alcohol-free painkiller
The fruit does so much work in this cocktail that the 0.0 version remains surprisingly close to the original. Replace the 6 cl dark rum with 4 cl alcohol-free dark rum, or with 3 cl strong chilled black tea and half a teaspoon of dark cane sugar syrup for that molasses note. Keep 10 cl pineapple juice, 3 cl orange juice, and 3 cl coconut cream, and shake just as vigorously. Do not leave out the freshly grated nutmeg on top: that aroma is the clearest characteristic of a Painkiller, with or without alcohol.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a recipe for a painkiller cocktail?
Yes. Shake 6 cl dark rum with 10 cl pineapple juice, 3 cl orange juice, and 3 cl coconut cream, pour the mixture over crushed ice, and grate plenty of fresh nutmeg over it. Garnish with a pineapple wedge; that nutmeg is the signature of this tiki classic.
What is a painkiller?
The Painkiller is a tropical rum cocktail from the Soggy Dollar Bar on Jost Van Dyke: dark rum, pineapple juice, orange juice, and coconut cream, finished with fresh nutmeg. Serve it with plenty of crushed ice in a tiki mug or pineapple glass holding 44 to 50 cl; see our tiki glasses.
What is the difference between a Painkiller and a Piña Colada?
Both use rum and coconut, but the Painkiller uses dark rum, pineapple juice, and orange juice and is shaken and served over crushed ice. The Piña Colada uses white or golden rum, pineapple juice only, and is blended into a thick, creamy mixture.
Which rum do you use for a Painkiller?
Traditionally Pusser's, the rum that even trademarked the name Painkiller. However, any full-bodied dark rum works perfectly well. The Soggy Dollar menu lists numbers 2, 3, and 4: these refer to the number of measures of rum in your glass.
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