The Painkiller Is an Easy, Delicious Tropical Cocktail Ready in 3 Minutes! (2024)

The Painkiller is apopular tropical cocktail. It was created in the 1970s at the Soggy Dollar Bar in the British Virgin Islands. It's a fun and fruity mix of pineapple, orange, coconut, and a bold rum. Perfect for a sunny day on the beach or a casual afternoon in the backyard, the recipe is simple, and the drink is delicious.

This cocktail typically calls for "navy-style" rum, which is high-proof and often a blend of rums from multiple Caribbean islands known for producing it. The style was developed when the British Royal Navy patrolled the seas, and sailors were allowed a daily rum ration.Most often, Pusser's Original Admiralty Blend (Blue Label) is the rum of choice for the Painkiller, though any navy-style or dark rum will do just fine.

The Painkiller falls into the category of potential "hair of the dog" drinks. Like thecorpse reviver, it gives the illusion that it might help out on those days when you areplagued with a hangover (though it likely just prolongs recovery).

The History of the Painkiller

The original Painkiller was created at the Soggy Dollar Bar in the 1970s. The hotspot on the British Virgin Islands was owned by Daphne Henderson. With no dock on the beach, patrons had to swim to shore, getting their money wet along the way. This inspired the bar's name.

The Painkiller was the Soggy Dollar's signature cocktail, and it became famous in the islands. The recipe was a well-kept secret.

When Charles Tobias—who would found Pusser's Rum in 1979—befriended Henderson, he tried to figure out the secret recipe. As the story goes, Tobias recreated the drink almost exactly, though people at the Soggy Dollar enjoyed his slightly less sweet version of the bar's signature mix.

The drink took off, and Tobias trademarked it as Pusser's Painkiller. The recipe spread, and it quickly became a modern classic in the tropical cocktail scene.

Bartenders mixed up Painkillers, drinkers enjoyed the fruity concoction, and all went well. That was until a pair of well-known New York City bartenders decided to open a bar called Painkiller.They also offered the namesake cocktail, but their version did not use Pusser's. This spurred a trademark lawsuit that ended in the venue changing its name to PKNY (it closed in 2013). As the story unfolded in 2010 and 2011, the bartending community came out in support of the NYC establishment. Several boycotted the rum, and quite a few purposely promoted Painkillers with any rum other than Pusser's.

Though the story of the Painkiller does not change the appeal of the drink, it is an interesting case of who can "own" or trademark a cocktail recipe or name. It's not the first case in the courts; similar arguments have surrounded theBacardi cocktailand thedark 'n' stormy.

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