Last Updated on June 8, 2023 by Leah Hall
What’s better than a twist on a classic tiki cocktail than adding MORE coconut as in this Painkiller Cocktail Recipe?
When summer rolls around and the warm evenings makes you feel like you are on a tropical island, you definitely need a cocktail that fully embraces the tropical vibe! What better way than a Tiki cocktail? We take classic tiki flavors like coconut, pineapple and rum and a little bit of inspiration from the classic Tiki cocktail, the Painkiller, to make a great tropical sipper, the Coconut Rum Painkiller!
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What about the Painkiller Cocktail?
The original Painkiller cocktail recipe is truly a tropical cocktail, hailing from the famous Soggy Dollar Bar in the British Virgin Islands. Bartender Daphne Henderson was working in the early 1970’s at the little bar overlooking White Bay. Customers had to swim up to the beach as there is no dock for their boats!
Looking for a way to cure what ailed her customers (apparently there is indeed trouble in paradise, maybe all that swimming to a bar and soggy money!) She came up with the Painkiller, a creamy, citrusy riff off of another coconut cocktail, the pina colada.
Coconut Rum Painkiller
The Painkiller is one of those great tiki cocktails that starts out with rum. Then and adds in a little pineapple juice, orange juice and rich coconut cream to make a smooth tangy cocktail that adds just a splash of sunshine to a cocktail glass that chases your blues away!
What is the history of the Painkiller?
The true original recipe isn’t truly known as Daphne Henderson didn’t share her exact proportions. One of her good friends and fellow bartenders decided that he had a version that was close enough. After winning a taste contest versus Daphne, he took his recipe on the road to try to earn some money from his new found fame.
He soon sold his recipe to Pusser’s Rum who soon trademarked the recipe. They did gave Daphnie Henderson the credit while letting the rest of us know a recipe!
What Ingredients are Needed for the Coconut Rum Painkiller?
- Allspice Dram
- Nutmeg
- Coconut Rum
- Dark Rum
- Pineapple Juice
- Orange Juice
For our version of the Painkiller cocktail recipe, the Coconut Rum Painkiller, we decided to embrace one of the tiki techniques. We layer two different types of rum into a single cocktail. Mixing two different types of rum gives a cocktail a more complex flavor and uses the different rums to bring the best of each style to the drink.
In the case of our Coconut Rum Painkiller, we combined the rich caramel flavors of a dark rum with an equal part coconut rum. AKA why this is the Coconut Rum Painkiller! This brings a tropical warmth to the cocktail.
What flavors did we use?
Of course a true Tiki drink like the Coconut Rum Painkiller needs another tropical flavor to support it. We wanted to stay true to the original Painkiller cocktail recipe we turned to fresh pineapple juice. Pineapple juice gives this cocktail a nice tangy flavor while adding a bit of sweetness and a bit of golden color to the drink.
If You Are Looking for More Rum Cocktails, Try These!
- Allspice Dram
- Black Walnut Rum Old Fashioned
- Banana Liqueur
- Blueberry Pineapple Mojito
- Bee’s Kiss
- Cuba Libre
The original recipe calls for coconut cream, but since we had the coconut rum that bright the coconut flavor of the original with out the thickness that the coconut cream brought to the original!
Served over ice, the Coconut Rum Painkiller is one great cocktail to sip on a hot day!
Cheers!
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Like this recipe? Try these below, too!
Other Painkiller Recipes
- The Painkiller – Go Go Go Gourmet
- Jamaican Painkiller – Dash of Evans
- Frozen Pineapple Painkiller – Meg is Well
Other Tiki Recipes
- Watermelon Mai Tai – Spoonabilities
- Frozen Whiski-Tiki Cocktail – Southern Kitchen
- Holy Mole Bourbon – Greta’s Day
Coconut Rum Painkiller - A Rum Cocktail
The Coconut Rum Painkiller is the boozier version of the classic Painkiller.
Ingredients
Coconut Rum Painkiller
- 1.50 ounces Coconut Rum
- 1.50 ounces Dark Rum
- 1 Bar spoon of Allspice Dram
- .50 ounce Orange Juice
- 3 ounces Pineapple juice
- Nutmeg
Instructions
Fill a shaker with ice.
Fill a glass with crushed ice
Add rum, pineapple juice, orange juice and allspice dram to the shaker.
Shake for 30 seconds.
Strain into glass.
Garnish with nutmeg.
Cheers!
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
1Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 116Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 0mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 0.2gSugar: 9.7gProtein: 0.4g
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Rachel K Hall
Wednesday 16th of January 2019
I think I need to try one of these very soon...to keep my spirits up until I head to Hawaii in March!
The 'Noms.
Wednesday 16th of January 2019
We can't wait to be warm instead of in this snow!
Amanda
Tuesday 19th of June 2018
I love everything about this cocktail! (Are you tired of hearing me say that about your cocktails? Haha. It's true for all of them!) The combination of flavors in this one and the presentation are all SO fun. This is just ready for a party at my pool. I love that you shared the history of the cocktail, too. I find these stories so interesting!
Donna
Monday 18th of June 2018
Now this is my kind of drink. I am useless with making cocktails, but this one just screams tropical island and I can totally get on board with that. Love the pineapple/coconut combination and cant wait to be sitting sipping once of these on the back porch during the summer heat.
The 'Noms.
Monday 18th of June 2018
This is totally a tropical summer drink. It's super easy and so flavorful. Hope you try it out, cheers!
leslie-anne
Monday 18th of June 2018
I would love love love to be served one of these - I only really like rum in tropical drinks so this totally speaks to me! I'll have to visit the Soggy Dollar one day but until then, I'll try this drink on a sweltering hot summer day.
The 'Noms.
Monday 18th of June 2018
Oh, it's on my list, too! Someday...... I hope you try this one at home though, maybe it will transport us away!
killingthyme
Monday 18th of June 2018
This is basically a more sophisticated version of what I drank in my early 20s! So fruity, tropical, and tasty. It's been so so hot here — I could totally go for something like this right now.
The 'Noms.
Monday 18th of June 2018
LOL! Yes, it's a classy cocktail, but it does have 2 rums....haha! Hope you try it out!