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Home » Recipes » Beverages

Published: Jul 5, 2021 · Modified: Sep 25, 2022 by Amanda McGrory-Dixon

Painkiller Cocktail

Jump to Recipe
A Painkiller cocktail on a straw placemat with toasted coconut scattered around it and text overlay on top of the image.
A Painkiller cocktail on a straw placemat with toasted coconut scattered around it and text overlay on top of the image.

Let's celebrate summer with a classic tiki drink — the Painkiller cocktail! Similar to the beloved piña colada, this tropical cocktail features sweet coconut, pineapple, orange juice and a healthy dose of dark rum for the perfect summer drink. Sipping on this fruity cocktail will make you think you're vacationing beachside.

Two painkiller cocktails on a straw placemat with a pineapple and coconut to the side.
Jump to:
  • Why You'll Love This Recipe
  • Ingredients
  • Step-by-Step Instructions
  • Recipe FAQs
  • Expert Tips
  • Perfect Pairing
  • Looking for More Tropical Cocktails?
  • 📖 Recipe

Why You'll Love This Recipe

When you can’t make it to the beach, bring a piece of the tropics straight home. This Painkiller cocktail is the drink you and your friends will want to sip on all summer long.

Sets a festive party mood: Nothing says summer party like a classic tiki cocktail.

Oh-so smooth: With that sweet coconut and pineapple, this drink goes down almost too easily.

Batch it for multiple servings: For easy entertaining, you can make this Painkiller drink pitcher style.

Makes for one impressive, show-stopping cocktail: With the vibrant hue and fun garnishes, this classic tiki cocktail is sure to get your guests talking and leave them impressed with your mixology skills.

Related: If you love this tropical drink, make sure you also try my passion fruit martini, piña colada margarita and mango mojito!

Ingredients

The ingredients with black and white labels on a white wooden board.

Cream of coconut: It's important to note that this Painkiller cocktail recipe uses cream of coconut, not coconut cream. Yes, they may sound similar, but they are distinctly different. Coconut cream will not give you the right results.

Essentially, cream of coconut is a sweetened, condensed syrup made from real cane sugar and coconut. This adds not only sweetness but also loads of coconut flavor to our cocktails, and its syrup-like consistency makes it easy to incorporate into drinks. You can find cream of coconut in the aisle with cocktail mixers in either a can or squeezable bottle as shown.

While coconut cream makes a wonderful coconut rice, its chunky, thick texture doesn't work well for cocktails, and it lacks the sweetness we need to add balance to the recipe. Save your coconut cream for cooking and cream of coconut for tropical drinks.

Aged dark rum: Navy rum is traditional in the original Painkiller recipe, but you can use your favorite type of rum as long as it's dark. White rum is great with a strawberry mojito, but we want the complex flavor of dark aged rum here.

Garnishes: In addition to the main ingredients, you'll also want tropical garnishes. Ground nutmeg is traditional, so don't skip that. I highly recommend grating from a whole nutmeg for the best flavor. You'll also love a pineapple wedge, orange slice and maraschino cherry.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: We grab a cocktail shaker and add our pineapple juice, cream of coconut, orange juice, rum and a handful of ice (photo 1).

Showing the process of pouring in the juices and rum in a cocktail shaker.

Step 2: Now we put on the cocktail shaker top and shake vigorously (photo 2). About 15-30 seconds will do the trick.

Shaking the liquid ingredients in a cocktail shaker.

Step 3: We strain our tropical cocktail into a fun ice-filled tiki glass (photo 3).

Straining the drink into an ice-filled glass.

Step 4: All that's left is to adorn our glass with a festive garnish, top with ground nutmeg (photo 4) and pretend we're on a tropical vacation while sipping away.

Garnishing the drink with pineapple leaves and pineapple chunks.

Recipe FAQs

What is the history of the Painkiller cocktail?

In the 1970s, Daphne Henderson owned the Soggy Dollar Bar, located on the island of Jost Van Dyke of the British Virgin Islands. The island didn't house any docks, so patrons had to literally swim to shore, getting their dollars wet along the way.

As her bar's signature cocktail, Daphne created the Painkiller, which quickly became an island favorite. Charles Tobias, the founder of Pusser's Rum, befriended Daphne and tried to figure out her secret recipe. He ended up creating a slightly less-sweet version and took it to Soggy Dollar to share. Everyone loved it, and his version of the Painkiller became the standard.

Eventually, Charles trademarked the Painkiller, which is why you often see Pusser's Dark Rum as the main ingredient.

What rum is similar to Pusser's?

While Pusser's may be the traditional rum for a Painkiller, you can substitute another dark rum. I live near a liquor store with an extensive inventory and still can't find Pusser's. Another dark rum still makes for a delicious cocktail.

What’s the difference between a piña colada and Painkiller?

The two are close cocktail cousins, but the Painkiller is served on the rocks and includes fresh orange juice and dark rum. A piña colada, however, is served frozen with no orange juice. The base is typically a white rum, though it’s often served with a dark rum floater for an extra bit of fun.

Despite their differences, if you enjoy a piña colada, I bet you’ll equally love this Painkiller tiki drink.

What are best tiki drink garnishes?

Now this is the extra fun part. It’s not a tiki drink without extravagant garnishes. For a Painkiller, freshly grated nutmeg is a traditional garnish, but feel free to get creative from there. I especially love decorating my tiki cocktails with pineapple leaves, an orange wheel, cherries, toasted coconut, edible flowers and fresh mint. Oh, and a paper umbrella is always a delightful touch.

Expert Tips

Mix with fresh juice: I highly recommend using freshly squeezed orange juice rather than bottled for the best flavor.

Use the right ice for serving and shaking: While I usually opt for cubed ice for my margaritas, crushed ice is preferred for tiki drinks. You can use crushed ice straight from your freezer, or if you're a Sonic ice lover like so many of us, you can buy Sonic's famous crushed ice at your local restaurant. Although I serve this Painkiller cocktail with crushed ice, I still use cubed ice for shaking.

Shake with two hands: We really want a lot of force behind the shake to properly agitate our drink and dilute some of the ice.

Make entertaining easy: Hosting a tiki party? You can easily serve this pitcher style. Please see the recipe card for proportions.

Sip slowly and enjoy: Tiki drinks have a reputation for sneaking up on you. Am I speaking from experience? You bet.

Looking down on two painkiller cocktails with toasted coconut around it.

Perfect Pairing

Tiki drinks call for tropical meals, and I can't think of anything more perfect than a Jamaican jerk dish. I just love the way the rich, caramel-like rum plays with jerk spices. Fortunately for you, I have several options you'll enjoy.

  • Jerk chicken
  • Jerk pork shoulder
  • Jerk chicken enchiladas
  • Sheet pan jerk pork nachos

When the beach comes calling, I hope you make this tropical Painkiller cocktail. After the first sip, you'll fall in love with all those tropical flavors. It's one classic tiki cocktail that will instantly whisk you to paradise without even leaving your home.

Cheers!

The painkiller cocktails with a pineapple and coconut behind them.

Looking for More Tropical Cocktails?

  • Coconut-Watermelon Mojito
  • Coconut Margarita
  • Strawberry-Kiwi Margarita
  • Blood Orange Mojito

If you love this recipe, please leave a comment with a five-star rating — or simply hit the five-star button in the recipe card. Don't forget to sign up for my newsletter, and you can follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and TikTok.

📖 Recipe

Two painkiller cocktails on a straw placemat with a pineapple and coconut to the side.

Painkiller Cocktail

Let's celebrate summer with a classic tiki drink -- the Painkiller cocktail! Similar to the beloved piña colada, this tropical cocktail features sweet coconut, pineapple, orange juice and a healthy dose of dark rum for the perfect summer drink. Sipping on this fruity cocktail will make you think you're vacationing beachside.
5 from 72 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Beverages
Cuisine: Caribbean
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 1 drink
Calories: 327kcal
Author: Amanda McGrory-Dixon

Equipment

  • Cocktail shaker
  • Jigger or small measuring cup
  • Citrus juicer
  • Fun tiki glass

Ingredients

  • 4 ounces pineapple juice
  • 2 ounces dark rum see note
  • 1 ounce freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 1 ounce cream of coconut not to be confused with coconut cream, see note
  • Ice
  • Freshly grated nutmeg for garnish
  • Additional garnishes, such as pineapple leaves, cherries, orange slices, etc. optional

Instructions

  • Add the pineapple juice, rum, orange juice, cream of coconut and a handful of ice to a cocktail shaker.
  • Put on the top and shake vigorously for 15-30 seconds.
  • Fill a fun tiki glass with crushed ice. Strain the cocktail into the glass and garnish with freshly grated nutmeg. Add additional desired garnishes. Enjoy!

Notes

  • For a 12-serving pitcher, stir together 6 cups pineapple juice, 3 cups dark rum, 1 ½ cups orange juice and 1 ½ cups cream of coconut directly in the pitcher and refrigerate for a few hours until you're ready to serve. Before pouring, I recommend giving it a stir because the cream of coconut will settle to the bottom of the pitcher, so you may want to keep a large wooden spoon next to the pitcher. 
  • Cream of coconut and coconut cream are not the same and cannot be substituted in this drink. Find cream of coconut in the drink mixer aisle in a can or squeezable bottle. 
  • I highly recommend freshly squeezed orange juice rather than bottled orange juice for best flavor.
  • Crushed ice is traditional for serving with tiki drinks. You can use crushed ice straight from your freezer, or if you're a Sonic ice lover, you can buy Sonic's famous crushed ice at your local restaurant.
  • Although I serve with crushed ice, I still use cubed ice for shaking.
  • Make sure you use two hands when shaking. We want a lot of force behind the shake to properly agitate our drink and dilute some of the ice.
  • Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Nutrition

Serving: 1drink | Calories: 327kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 17mg | Potassium: 205mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 33g | Vitamin A: 62IU | Vitamin C: 26mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @BurrataandBubbles or tag #burratandbubbles!

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Elizabeth says

    July 19, 2021 at 8:16 am

    5 stars
    I'm drooling over this cocktail! I love anything with pineapple. This is going to be our new date night drink for nights at home!

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      July 19, 2021 at 3:08 pm

      It sounds like you have some fun date nights ahead of you!

      Reply
  2. Liz @ I Heart Vegetables says

    July 19, 2021 at 8:15 am

    5 stars
    My husband and I went to a tiki bar last week and it was SO fun! Now we wanted to make a fun drink at home. This painkiller was perfect!

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      July 19, 2021 at 3:05 pm

      I'm so glad! It's the perfect way to bring tropical vibes home.

      Reply
  3. Tristin says

    July 18, 2021 at 6:59 pm

    5 stars
    This Painkiller Cocktail is like summer in a glass. My new go-to drink. Sooooo good!!

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      July 19, 2021 at 2:46 pm

      Perfect way to describe it!

      Reply
  4. Kathryn says

    July 15, 2021 at 10:16 am

    5 stars
    ALL of your cocktails are so amazing and I can't wait to try this one! I love pineapple juice so I know this one will be a new favorite. 🙂

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      July 19, 2021 at 1:51 pm

      Thank you, Kathryn! Sounds like it will be perfect for you!

      Reply
  5. Jenny says

    July 15, 2021 at 10:10 am

    5 stars
    Love your painkiller cocktail! Fabulous and the perfect way to celebrate 5 o’clock today (and tomorrow, etc.). Thanks so much for the recipe! 🙂

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      July 19, 2021 at 1:48 pm

      You're welcome! I hope you loved it.

      Reply
  6. Melanie says

    July 15, 2021 at 7:40 am

    5 stars
    Cheers! This looks so good and refreshing! I love pineapple and coconut in my drink so this is going to be a winner by the pool for sure! Thank you so much!

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      July 19, 2021 at 1:45 pm

      You're very welcome!

      Reply
  7. Amy says

    July 14, 2021 at 5:15 pm

    I love everything about this drink! The name says it all, and it's perfect on a hot Summer afternoon!

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      July 19, 2021 at 11:29 am

      Totally! It's as refreshing as it gets.

      Reply
  8. Cathleen says

    July 14, 2021 at 2:15 pm

    5 stars
    I'm saving all of these recipes for when I am no longer pregnant haha. This cocktail sounds amazing, I am definitely going to give it a go as soon as I can 😉

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      July 14, 2021 at 3:00 pm

      At least you'll have plenty of cocktails waiting for you soon!

      Reply
  9. Chef Dennis says

    July 12, 2021 at 11:38 pm

    5 stars
    This is really perfect for summer! Just the thought of this makes me want to pull the days. I love that it has sweet coconut.

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      July 13, 2021 at 9:27 am

      I think the sweet coconut really makes it special!

      Reply
  10. Bernice says

    July 12, 2021 at 1:55 pm

    Looks like a fun summer time sipper. Can never go wrong with rum and pineapple juice.

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      July 13, 2021 at 9:26 am

      Right?! They were made for each other.

      Reply
  11. Jamie says

    July 09, 2021 at 6:29 pm

    5 stars
    This is going to be perfect with our summer bbq! I love the flavors of pineapple and coconut especially on hot days!

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      July 12, 2021 at 10:18 am

      Enjoy! It's perfect for that occasion.

      Reply
  12. Lauren Michael Harris says

    July 09, 2021 at 6:24 pm

    5 stars
    I could definitely go for one of these right now! Pineapple and coconut are the best summer flavors - especially in an adult beverage - yum!

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      July 12, 2021 at 10:18 am

      It's so, so good! You'll love it!

      Reply
  13. Michaela says

    July 09, 2021 at 5:43 pm

    5 stars
    Will definitely need a pitcher of this fantastic cocktail!

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      July 12, 2021 at 10:08 am

      I'm right there with you!

      Reply
  14. Cyndy says

    July 09, 2021 at 5:37 pm

    5 stars
    This looks so refreshing and I am making these tonight for our cocktail hour! I had no idea they were so simple and I have everything on hand.

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      July 12, 2021 at 10:08 am

      It really is so simple! No reason to wait until you're on vacation.

      Reply
  15. Alejandra says

    July 09, 2021 at 5:36 pm

    5 stars
    This looks like the sort of cocktail I would love!! So summery, love the combo of pineapple and coconut, and beautiful photos!

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      July 12, 2021 at 10:07 am

      Thank you! It's truly summer in a glass!

      Reply
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Hi, I'm Amanda, a Denver-based lady who believes life is best spent with comforting meals, tasty beverages and good company. When I'm not playing in the kitchen, I'm probably exploring new breweries with my husband, Matt, or obsessing over my adorable dog, Baylor.

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