The Painkiller cocktail mixes rum, pineapple juice, orange juice and coconut for a spin on the piña colada that’s even tastier! Garnish this creamy tropical drink with fresh nutmeg.
Do you love piña coladas? (See what I did there?) Then you absolutely must try the Painkiller cocktail! This 1970’s tropical drink is a spin on the classic piña colada starring aged rum, cream of coconut, and pineapple and orange juice.
After I drank the first sip of this drink, I raised my eyebrows in appreciation. It’s fruity, tropical, and irresistibly good. Top it off with a little grated nutmeg for the garnish, which adds a nice spiced aroma to each sip.
5 Star Reader Review
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “You did so great explaining the difference in alcohol in the recipe and and why. Thank you so much for that! Great recipe I love it!” -Amber
What’s a Painkiller Cocktail?
The Painkiller cocktail was invented in the 1970’s in the British Virgin Islands at a bar called Soggy Dollar Bar. It was originally made with Pusser’s Rum, a type of rum made using the British Royal Navy recipe.
The drink was trademarked in the 1980’s, so if it’s included on a menu it must include the traditional Pusser’s Rum. If you’re making it at home, you can use any type of aged or dark rum!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here are the ingredients you need for a Painkiller cocktail:
- Aged rum: Pusser’s Rum is traditional; you can use any type of aged rum. Keep reading for my Notes on the best rum to use.
- Pineapple juice and orange juice: Use 100% juice; these bring the tropical flavor.
- Cream of coconut: Make sure to use the cream of coconut from the squeeze bottle, not coconut cream from a can. See below for more.
- Grated nutmeg: This adds a whiff of spice to each sip.
Pro Tip: How to Find Cream Of Coconut
Here’s the most important thing to know about the Painkiller cocktail: use cream of coconut, not coconut cream. There’s an important difference between two:
- Cream of coconut is a sweetened syrup for drinks! It consists of coconut cream with lots of sugar added. Because it’s used in drinks, it’s sold in handy squeeze bottles. Cream of coconut is easy to find online or at your local liquor store. A popular brand is Coco Real.
- Coconut cream is unsweetened: it’s very thick and has a strong coconut flavor. Coconut cream is made from chilling coconut milk and then skimming off the layer of cream that floats to the top. It’s typically sold in cans next to the coconut milk.
- Want more with cream of coconut? Try popular coconut cocktails like the Piña Colada, Painkiller, Coconut Martini or Bushwacker.
What if you accidentally buy coconut cream for the Painkiller? You can save your drink! Use ½ ounce coconut cream and ¾ ounce simple syrup.
The Best Rum For A Painkiller Cocktail
Many rum cocktails use white rum or dark rum. But the Painkiller cocktail uses a whole other category of this liquor: aged rum or golden rum! Aging rum for a few years gives it a complex flavor. Golden rum can have notes of vanilla, coconut, almond, citrus, or caramel. The aged rum that we used here was Brugal Añejo Rum.
Can’t find golden or aged rum or don’t have it on hand? You can substitute dark rum and the drink will work. You can also use white rum, but it’s not quite the same. It does work in a pinch!
How To Make A Painkiller
There’s no blender needed here: all you need is a cocktail shaker and a big glass (I like using a hurricane glass). Here are the basic steps (or jump to the recipe below):
- Fill the shaker, then shake. Add the rum, pineapple juice, orange juice, and cream of coconut to a cocktail shaker and fill it with ice. Shake it hard, for about 30 seconds until the outside of the shaker is cold.
- Strain over fresh ice. Use a large glass like a hurricane glass or highball. I like clear ice here for the best look.
- Garnish. Grate fresh nutmeg over the top and add a cocktail cherry.
Easy Variations On The Recipe
Once you’ve made the classic, here are a few ways to change it up:
- Skip the alcohol. For a mocktail version, make my virgin piña colada, substitute ½ cup of the coconut milk with orange juice and a nutmeg garnish.
- Make it frozen. Blend the ingredients with one handful ice to make it more like my Classic Piña Colada, or make my Frozen Piña Colada with ½ cup coconut milk replaced with orange juice.
When To Serve A Painkiller Cocktail
The Painkiller cocktail is a tasty spin on the pina colada! It’s great as a:
- Pool and patio days: It’s great with any of these summer cocktails and beach drinks.
- With other Tiki style cocktails: It works a Mai Tai, Zombie, or Jungle Bird.
- Cookouts: Pair it with coconut shrimp or shrimp tacos, or chips and pineapple salsa
- The middle of winter: For when you’re dreaming of a tropical escape
Classic Painkiller Cocktail
The Painkiller cocktail mixes rum, pineapple juice, orange juice and coconut for a spin on the piña colada that’s even tastier! Garnish this creamy tropical drink with fresh nutmeg.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 drink 1x
- Category: Drink
- Method: Shaken
- Cuisine: Cocktails
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 2 ½ ounces* aged rum (Pusser’s Rum is traditional)
- 4 ounces pineapple juice
- 1 ounce cream of coconut (not coconut cream! here’s why.)
- 1 ounce orange juice
- Ice, for serving (try clear ice!)
- For the garnish: grated nutmeg, cocktail cherry
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake with ice.
- Stain into an ice-filled highball or hurricane glass. Garnish with fresh grated nutmeg and a cocktail cherry.
Notes
*To convert to tablespoons, multiply the ounces by 2 (½ ounce = 1 tablespoon).
More Pineapple Cocktails To Try
There are so many more great cocktails starring pineapple juice! Once you buy a jug for this recipe, you’ll simply have to make more! Here are some of our favorite tropical:
You did so great explaining the difference in alcohol in the recipe and and why. Thank you so much for that! Great recipe I love it!
I love this one.
Can I just say, this is one of the best websites I’ve seen for expert guidance on everything. Lol
Thanks guys xx
You’re welcome! :)
Does the painkiller cocktail separate if I were to serve it from a punch bowl. I hate that!
Thanks
We haven’t tried it, but I think it would start to separate — sorry!
Ohhhh- I just saw the tablespoon conversion. First round was a bit off….
I’m going in for another round with correct proportions.
Is dark rum the same as aged rum???
Thanks for the poolside inspiration, feeling no pain.
Dark rum is even darker than aged. It should be labeled Dark.
it won’tt if you blend it first