Painkiller

The Painkiller is the Piña Colada's stronger, more complex island cousin. Navy-strength rum, orange juice, and a heavy grating of fresh nutmeg join the coconut and pineapple — a richer, spicier, more grown-up tropical drink.

Born at the Soggy Dollar

The Painkiller was created in the 1970s at the Soggy Dollar Bar on Jost Van Dyke in the British Virgin Islands — a bar with no dock, reached by swimming ashore, which is how the dollars got soggy. Authorship is contested between Daphne Henderson (the bar's longtime bartender) and George and Marie Myrick (the bar's owners), both of whom have been credited at various points. The drink became the bar's signature, and Pusser's Rum filed a U.S. trademark on the name and recipe in 1989 — more than a decade after the cocktail was first poured.

Pusser's and the Trademark

The Painkiller is closely tied to Pusser's Rum, which owns the trademark and considers its navy-strength rum the authentic base. Made at home, any rich, dark, full-bodied rum will do the job — it is the navy strength that matters most.

Nutmeg Is Not Optional

A generous grating of fresh nutmeg over the top is the Painkiller's signature finish. It is not a garnish so much as an ingredient — the warm, aromatic spice that lifts the drink above a simple fruit blend.

The Piña Colada Family