Second place went to Jelani Johnson, assistant distiller at Great Jones Distilling Co. Frizell noted that the drink’s spirit-forward construction might be “too much of a good thing,” but praised the drink for its refreshing qualities and long finish. It was among the most rum-forward of the bunch, and the judges unanimously enjoyed the unorthodox garnish of a lavish mint plume alongside the requisite freshly grated nutmeg. His interpretation of the Painkiller leans on a blend of Smith & Cross Jamaican rum, El Dorado 15-year Guyanese rum and Lemon Hart 151 Demerara rum for the base, with only an ounce and a half of pineapple juice (compared to four ounces in the original spec) alongside an ounce of Coco Lopez and three-quarters of an ounce of orange juice. Taking top honors was Matthew Belanger, of Death & Co. Though some pulled the formula too far into Serious Cocktail territory, with unorthodox additions such as Pedro Ximénez sherry and cold-brew concentrate, those that succeeded managed to honor the uncomplicated nature of the original, calling for thoughtful changes that made the vacation drink feel worthy of a spot on any contemporary cocktail menu. “It just starts off with a terrible recipe.”īut judging by a recent tasting of 10 recipes submitted by bartenders across the country, the Painkiller is not a lost cause. “There’s no acidity,” notes rum expert Paul McGee, of the often cloying combination of ingredients. A combination of rum, pineapple and orange juices (both typically from a can) and coconut cream, it puts refreshment above complexity, inviting bartenders to try their hand at balance in a cocktail that never had it in the first place.

Originally created in the early 1970s at the British Virgin Islands’ Soggy Dollar bar-reachable only by sea-the Painkiller is a textbook boat drink.

Download pineapple painkiller