The judges thought the nutmeg was particularly well integrated thanks to Johnson’s decision to shake the drink with grated nutmeg, rather than simply dusting it atop the finished drink.

The judges quickly picked up an additional source of acid, in this case lemon juice, and likewise found the rum to shine through thanks to four different expressions, led by Coruba Jamaican rum alongside Plantation O.F.T.D., El Dorado 12-year and a teaspoon of Rum Fire. 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.

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