. . . and I know a few of you do during the dog days of summer, here's an alternative to that ubiquitous coconut libation.The original Painkiller has its genesis in the wonderfully named Soggy Dollar Bar, on the island of Jost Van Dyke in the British Virgin Islands. Since there is no dock for sailors to tie up to, they are forced to swim to shore. Of course, the money gets wet so the proprietors had the novel idea of stringing up a clothesline to air-dry the money. So there you have it, the Soggy Dollar Bar.
The owner, a British expat named Daphne Henderson, became locally famous for a cocktail she dubbed The Painkiller. Though it's recipe was kept secret, the rum she used has it's own interesting back-story.
On July 31, 1970, otherwise known among British navy types as Black Tot Day, the last daily ration of rum was doled out to British sailors, ending a remarkable 325 year tradition. Sometime around 1980, Charlie Tobias, an American entrepreneur, obtained the secret formula for the blend from the British Royal Navy and commercialized it, dubbing it Pusser's, an old slang term for purser, the bookkeeper who spooned out the rum ration to sailors.
Tobias heard that Henderson was using Pusser's for her popular drink and tried to pry the recipe from her, but apparently she wouldn't give it up. You can read the whole story at here, but suffice to say that now we can all enjoy it.
The Painkiller
4 oz. unsweetened pineapple juice
1 oz. orange juice
1 oz. Lopez coconut cream
2 oz. Pusser's rum (95 proof if you can get it)
Blend without ice, then pour into a glass filled with crushed ice. Grate fresh cinnamon and nutmeg over top.
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