Painkiller Cocktail Recipe

Before you start

The Painkiller is a creamy, tropical highball from the British Virgin Islands: dark navy-style rum shaken with pineapple juice, orange juice and sweetened cream of coconut, then served over ice and finished with a heavy grating of nutmeg. It is richer than a rum punch and less dessert-like than a piña colada, and it takes about three minutes to make.

The usual proportions are 4 parts pineapple to 1 part orange to 1 part cream of coconut, with the rum pour scaled to taste. Cream of coconut is the sweetened, thick product sold in cans or squeeze bottles; it is not coconut cream or coconut milk. Fresh nutmeg on top is not optional. It turns a sweet juice drink into something warm and aromatic.

Ingredients

• 60 ml (2 oz) navy-style dark rum
• 120 ml (4 oz) pineapple juice — unsweetened
• 30 ml (1 oz) fresh orange juice
• 30 ml (1 oz) cream of coconut — sweetened, well stirred
• 1 cup (about 150 g) ice cubes — for shaking, plus more for serving
• 1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 wedge pineapple or orange — optional garnish

Method

1. Stir or shake the can of cream of coconut. The fat separates and the top is often solid; it needs to be smooth before measuring.
2. Add the rum, pineapple juice, orange juice and cream of coconut to the shaker.
3. Add ice and shake hard for 12 to 15 seconds. The extra time whips the coconut into the juices and gives the drink a light foam.
4. Fill the glass with fresh ice and strain the drink over it.
5. Grate nutmeg generously over the top, then garnish with a wedge of pineapple or orange.

Tips for success

• Pour some cream of coconut into a squeeze bottle and keep it at room temperature for a few days of use; cold cream of coconut hardens and will not mix.
• Use whole nutmeg and grate it fresh. Pre-ground nutmeg has lost most of its aroma.
• Navy-style rums are dark, rich and slightly smoky. Bars often offer the drink at increasing rum strengths; start with 60 ml.

Substitutions

Navy-style rum

Any rich, dark blended rum works. A light white rum makes a thinner, sweeter drink without the molasses depth.

Cream of coconut

Coconut cream plus 15 ml simple syrup can stand in, though it is less sweet and less smooth. Do not use coconut milk alone; the drink will be thin.

Fresh orange juice

Good bottled orange juice is acceptable here, since pineapple dominates.

Variations

Frozen Painkiller

Blend the same ingredients with 1 cup ice until smooth and add 10 ml more cream of coconut to compensate for the cold.

Spiced Painkiller

Add a dash of Angostura bitters and a pinch of cinnamon with the nutmeg.

Troubleshooting

There are white flecks of coconut fat

The cream of coconut was cold or not mixed. Warm the can in hot water, stir until smooth, and shake longer.

It is too sweet

Your pineapple juice may be sweetened. Use unsweetened juice or add 10 ml fresh lime.

It tastes flat

Add a heavier hand of fresh nutmeg; the aroma lifts the whole drink.

Storage

Serve immediately. Refrigerate opened cream of coconut in a covered container and use it within about a week, or as its label directs. Keep leftover juices refrigerated and use within a few days.

Safety notes

A 60 ml pour of navy rum at about 42% ABV is roughly 1.4 U.S. standard drinks (a standard drink is about 14 g of pure alcohol). The sweet juice masks the rum, so pace yourself. Serve only to adults of legal drinking age and never drink and drive.