Easy Painkiller Cocktail Recipe

I’m so glad you all enjoyed the recap of our St. John Family Getaway. If you missed it, you can read the full travel guide here. As promised, I’m excited to share one of my favorite cocktail recipes and really it’s the only cocktail we drink on St. John. If you’re here just for the recipe then skip ahead!

Close your eyes. Can you picture the warm sand beneath your feet, can you feel the warmth of the Caribbean sun on your face, now can you picture the most beautiful aqua sea lapping at your heels? In your hand is the most refreshing cocktail you’ve ever had – refreshing pineapple, creamy coconut, and just the perfect amount of rum! In a nutshell that’s a Painkiller. For some reason, it tastes soooooooo good on St. John. It’s amazing on the beach – above it’s pictured on Honeymoon Beach. They make a really good Painkiller at the Caneel Bay Beach Club.

Funny story, when we first visited St. John, the Caneel Bay boat took us to the resort 12 years ago and they asked if we wanted a Painkiller and I thought they were asking if I wanted some Tylenol or asprin. Ha! Ha! Nope. This is the best kind of painkiller.

The History of the Painkiller Cocktail

The Painkiller Cocktail was created by Daphne Henderson, an English lady who owned the Soggy Dollar Bar and 4 adjoining cottages on a stretch of sandy beach on Jost Van Dyke. She whipped up these dreamy concoctions for patrons at the 6 seat bar. The bar was called The Soggy Dollar because there was no dock and people had to swim to the bar from their boats, their dollars getting soggy on the way.

The Soggy Dollar is still a destination with more than 6 seats at the bar now. We still need to try one there.

You can learn more about the Pusser’s Painkiller on their site. It’s classically made with Pusser’s Rum.

Since then, the Painkiller Cocktail has become very famous on St. John, too, all the bars offer it on their menus.

Why We Love the Painkiller Cocktail

I think my favorite part about it is the fresh grated nutmeg on top. It adds so much to the drink.

We also love this cocktail because it only takes a minute or two to make it!

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What You’ll Need

You probably have many of the ingredients at home already.

• Dark Rum or Navy Rum (Pusser’s is preferred for authenticity)
• Orange Juice
• Pineapple Juice
• Cream of Coconut (Coco Lopez – worked the best – it’s creamier)
• Ice
• Nutmeg and nutmeg grater
• Orange and Cherry for garnish

Special Tip

Some Cream of Coconut has a thick settlement of coconut on top of the can. You can use an immersion blender to smoothly mix the coconut together and we like to puree it into the juices.

One of the bartenders on St. John said that they just mix the juices and coconut cream together and leave it on the bar to pour. It tasted great to us!

Places We Enjoyed Painkiller Cocktails on St. John

We enjoyed MANY Painkillers on St. John. Here’s a list of some we loved:

• Caneel Bay Beach Club on Honeymoon Beach (first photo)
• The Windmill Bar
• High Tide Bar and Restaurant (2nd and 4th photo)

We also made our own to enjoy back at the villa by the pool! Cheers! I hope you enjoy this easy Painkiller recipe and hope you get to St. John, too!

Easy Painkiller Cocktail

An easy breezy cocktail that will have you dreaming of the Caribbean.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Cook Time 3 minutes mins

Course Drinks

Servings 1

Ingredients

  

• 2 oz Dark or Navy Rum Traditional Recipe uses Pussers
• 4 oz Pineapple Juice
• 1 oz Cream of Coconut Coco Lopez
• 1 oz Orange Juice
• Nutmeg Fresh Grated
• Ice
• Orange and Cherry for garnish

Instructions

 

• Fill a glass with ice
• Blend Coconut Cream if needed
• Mix Coconut Cream and juices together.
• Pour Rum over ice and add the mixer.
• Top with freshly grated nutmeg and garnish with cherry and orange slice (optional)
• Enjoy immediately (preferably on a beach or by the pool)

Notes

If you don’t drink alcohol, you can make a mocktail by omitting the rum.

Keyword cocktail, coconut, rum

Let’s Keep in Touch

Did you enjoy this post? If so, let me know! I’d love to hear your favorite cocktails.

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