The Snowbird is a documented, recently created cocktail: Danielle (Dani) Crouch and Allan Katz, co-owners of the Caribbean-reggae bar Jammyland in Las Vegas, built it in 2023 as a mezcal-based reworking of the Painkiller — the rum, pineapple, orange, and coconut cream classic that originated at the Soggy Dollar Bar in the British Virgin Islands. Swapping in mezcal trades the Painkiller's rum sweetness for an earthy, faintly smoky backbone, while a pinch of xanthan gum keeps the blended texture rich without diluting it down. The recipe and its creators are corroborated independently by Imbibe Magazine, beyond Difford's Guide's own listing.
The Snowbird is kinda like a love child that Coquito sired in a tiki bar during winter break.
Allan Katz, Jammyland (via Imbibe Magazine)A Painkiller, Rerouted Through Oaxaca
Crouch and Katz, who both trained under Dale DeGroff, Julie Reiner, and Tony Abou-Ganim before opening Jammyland in 2018, built the Snowbird as a direct answer to the Painkiller — same pineapple-orange-coconut cream frame, but mezcal in place of rum. The swap does real work: where a Painkiller leans sweet and tropical front to back, the mezcal's vegetal, faintly smoky edge cuts through the coconut cream and keeps the drink from reading as pure dessert.
Katz has described the drink as a wintry, nutmeg-forward variation meant to "conjure the holidays," and it's been served as a seasonal cocktail at Jammyland accordingly — a tiki drink built with a specific season in mind rather than a generic year-round tropical cooler.
The Spec
Mezcal, pineapple, coconut cream, orange juice, and a touch of triple sec get dry-blended with a pinch of xanthan gum before crushed ice goes in — a technique that keeps the texture silky without watering the drink down the way a straight ice-and-blend approach would.
Mezcal for Earthy Complexity
A Painkiller built with rum reads as straightforwardly sweet; swapping in mezcal adds a smoky, mineral undertone that keeps the coconut cream and juice from tipping into dessert territory — the same trick a growing number of mezcal-forward tiki drinks lean on.
Xanthan Gum Keeps It From Watering Down
Blending the liquid ingredients with a pinch of xanthan gum before adding crushed ice thickens the base slightly, so the finished drink holds a rich, frozen-painkiller texture instead of thinning out as the ice melts.
Bottom Line
A well-documented, modern tiki drink with real names attached — Crouch and Katz's mezcal answer to the Painkiller earns its holiday framing with nutmeg and smoke instead of just more sugar.