When guests come to visit it’s normal to clean the house, stash your clutter and maybe even cook up your best recipe. But what your visitors really want, especially if they’ve journeyed far to get to you, is a stiff drink. When we recently had friends over who came all the way from Manhattan to New Jersey (a true testament to friendship) and I shook up some tropical drinks which were in their hands before we even had a chance to catch up.
Pain Killer Alcoholic Tropical Drink made from pineapple juice, orange juice, coconut cream, and … [+]
A Painkiller is an easygoing drink that features rum and a few simple ingredients you can find at the grocery store. Created at the Soggy Dollar bar in the British Virgin Islands in the 1970’s it’s fruity but not overly sweet and basically tastes like a Carribean vacation in a glass.
This fun mixture of pineapple juice, orange juice, cream of coconut and a nice dark rum reminds me of another favorite vacay drinks, the piña colada, but this one is served on the rocks and garnished with nutmeg. Having a cocktail like this ready for your guests upon arrival sets the tone for a fun visit and puts everyone in a great mood. I find that if you ask people what they want they’ll say “nothing” or “just some water” so my strategy is to make myself a Painkiller or other cocktail beforehand which not only makes cleaning the bathroom more fun, but makes guests feel more comfortable accepting a drink. (I’ll always offer water, too!)
Ready to make the best welcome drink ever? Here’s what you need:
A Painkiller is easy to make at home and so delicious.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces dark or navy rum
- 4 ounces pineapple juice
- 1 ounce orange juice
- 1 ounce cream of coconut
- Pineapple wedge for garnish
- Grated nutmeg for garnish
Method
Add the rum, pineapple juice, orange juice and cream of coconut to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake and pour into a hurricane glass (or other highball glass) that is filled with ice. Garnish with nutmeg on top and a wedge of pineapple. Serve and enjoy!
When I recently made this drink, I used a combination of light rum (Bacardi) and dark rum (Appleton) but next time I think I’ll just use dark rum. You can experiment to find your favorite. I opted to use organic juices since their flavors would be front and center, and it came out delicious.
Next time you have guests don’t worry if your house is messy or if you burned the casserole. Just have a great drink like this one on hand and you’ll be a perfect host or hostess!
