Ingredients
- 2 ounces Pusser's rum
- 4 ounces pineapple juice
- 1 ounce cream of coconut
- ¾ ounce freshly squeezed orange juice
- Ice
- Pineapple wedge and grated nutmeg for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, rum, pineapple juice, cream of coconut, and orange juice.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into hurricane glass or cocktail glass over fresh ice.
- Garnish with pineapple wedge and grated nutmeg.
Variations and Substitutions for Painkiller Drink Ingredients
Don't be intimidated by how to make a painkiller drink; it's a pretty easy and forgiving drink with ingredients begging for experimentation and play.
- If you can't find Pusser's rum, go back to the painkiller's roots and use Cruzan rum. Otherwise, a Navy, overproof, or dark rum can always be the drink's base.
- Use equal parts orange juice and pineapple juice.
- Up the coconut flavor by adding a little extra cream of coconut, a half ounce of coconut milk, or even a splash of coconut rum. Alternatively, if you're not a big coconut fan, go ahead and use just half an ounce.
- Experiment with rums in combination: a light rum with dark rum, but take care not to exceed two ounces total.
Pankiller Drink Garnishes
A pineapple wedge with grated nutmeg is the most traditional garnish for the painkiller. The nutmeg adds an aromatic touch to the drink that's unbeatable.
- Add an orange slice, wedge, or wheel. You can also use a different citrus, such as lemon or lime.
- Citrus zest makes an excellent, colorful touch. Any citrus will do; sprinkle a little on top in combination with the grated nutmeg or on its own.
- A pineapple leaf ups the tropical factor -- add it to the traditional garnish or with other garnishes, too.
- Sprinkle grated coconut onto the drink on its own or with a pineapple wedge.
A Look at the Painkiller Drink
Unlike the Moscow mule, the painkiller drink's ingredients didn't result from a need to use up supply, but Pusser's rum did go on to trademark the name and recipe nearly a decade after the its inception. The first painkiller slid across a bar in the British Virgin Islands back in the 1970s, a creation by Daphne Henderson...or maybe George Myrick...possibly Mari Myrick. History is a bit murky on the finer details, much like a night with too many painkiller cocktails. The original recipe didn't use Pusser's; the bartenders used Cruzan Rum, a distillery found in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The Tropical Drink to Soothe the Soul
The painkiller is an excellent swap when you're tired of your blue lagoons or want something a bit bolder than your usual piña colada. While mysterious and relatively under the radar, the ingredients for a painkiller are no more complicated than any other rum cocktail. Now that's a bit of homemade medicine.
