Pusser's Painkiller: Does it work, and why?

Rum drinks, rumcake, hot buttered rum, rum glazed ribs, Bermudan rum chowder, rum balls and bollocks. This be the place and it's all good. To the cook! Eat, drink and be Mary!
Post Reply

How do you rate a Pusser's Painkiller (five is best)?

5
1
100%
4
0
No votes
3
0
No votes
2
0
No votes
1
0
No votes
 
Total votes: 1

User avatar
Capn Jimbo
Rum Evangelisti and Compleat Idiot
Posts: 3550
Joined: Mon Dec 11, 2006 3:53 pm
Location: Paradise: Fort Lauderdale of course...
Contact:

Pusser's Painkiller: Does it work, and why?

Post by Capn Jimbo »

Pusser's Painkiller: Does it work, and why?


It's no secret that we love tradition, respect history and appreciate real, true and unadulterated rum. It was inevitable that we found and loved Pusser's Blue Label - a true and pure slice of history. And take note that Sue Sea and I are avid kayakers...

What?! How could kayaking possibly relate?

Easy. We are within easy driving distance of Key Largo, home of a famous kayak outfitter and who used to sponser annual races attended by top talent from all over the world. It's the world famous Florida Keys, you know. It also turns out that one of the Tobias family members is also a kayaker, lives in Key Largo and not unexpectedly, reps for Pussers. In addition to all manner of barbecued food and treats, the outdoor after-party also featured Pusser's Painkillers, made by Jamey himself. It was entirely authentic, and simply wonderful, especially in this sub-tropical setting.

Doesn't get any better.


Back to the Future

As some of you know, I recently became engaged in a netwide engagement, in which I have strongly advocated for families Gosling and Tobias and their wonderful (trademarked) signature drinks. In the world of spirits these two are relatively small and independent players who have worked very long and hard, and have invested considerable treasure in promoting their signature drinks. It is both legal and moral to support them. Coincidentally, Sue Sea and I have just been through a trying month or two of medical issue so it was time to celebrate with a nice cookout.

Naturally, it occured to me to make the first authentic Painkiller since that day long ago in Key Largo...


The Recipe


If you don't know already, here it is:

1. 2 oz. Pusser's rum (Blue Label for us)
2. 4 oz. pineapple juice
3. 1 oz. fresh squeezed orange juice
4. 1 oz. cream of coconut (used Coco Lopez)

Shake vigorously with ice, and into a nice tall chilled glass filled with fresh ice. Top with a goodly amount of freshly grated nutmeg. And the result? Neither Sue Sea or I are big mixed drink fans (short of a good dry and/or dirty gin dry martini), but this fresh and authentic Painkiller was absolutely delicious, healthy - yes healthy - and refreshing. Although we made the Painkiller with 2 oz, Pussers also suggests that it can be made with 3 or 4 oz of Pussers, depending on how much you wish the rum to shine through.

Our feeling: 2 oz of Pussers was beautifully balanced and integrated, but since we are both sippers, we'd suggest 2-1/2 to 3 oz. for a bit more of a Pusser's profile (4 oz would be too much).


And finally... just why does the Pusser's Painkiller work?

As well put by The Art of Drink...
"The Painkiller is a drink similar in nature to a Pina Colada or a Goombay Smash. They are all based on rum, with flavours of pineapple and coconut. But, each one is different, with the Pina Colada being the basic rum, pineapple and coconut drink and the Painkiller adding some orange juice and mixing up the ratio’s a bit, but not much. The difference is the addition of cream to the Pina Colada and the absence of cream in the Painkiller, but added orange juice. The Painkiller also gets a nutmeg dusting."
Accoding to another profession - although based on the ingredients the Painkiller would appear to be just another creamy and pussified rum drink, it is not. It contains none of the cream of a Pina Colada, and a lot more coconut. The orange juice and nutmeg - and especially the very robust Pusser's rum - make this a man drink, one that will last and be fully savored.

We agree. The Painkiller simply works.
da'rum
Minor God
Posts: 957
Joined: Wed Aug 29, 2012 7:09 pm

Post by da'rum »

I had a few Painkiller's™ last night and a few faux killers using a couple of other over proofs, (Smith&Cross and Lemon Hart 151) .

I had to change the recipe because its winter here and cold. So a summer cocktail like this with so much pineapple juice was a bit 'out of season'.

So I changed the ratio to

3 parts coconut cream
2 parts Pineapple juice
2 parts orange juice
1 part simple syrup
1-2 parts Pussers 75% if making a Painkiller™

1-2 parts of the other rum if making a faux killer

with ice in a shaker and well shaken. Poured into glass with nutmeg shaken on top.

An important point is the nutmeg. because of the nutmeg the drink must be sipped either from the glass itself so your nose is close to the nutmeg or with a really short straw. If you add a long straw and cancel the nutmeg out then it really changes the make up and is less enjoyable.

All in all a nice cocktail.

I would say that for me the Pusser's is too nice to mix (I really prefer straight sipping).

So I used the caramelised 151 to make faux killers.

I know I know the better the quality of spirit in the cocktail the better the cocktail but after a few Real pain killers I just couldn't bring myself to pour more Pusser's away.
in goes your eye out
User avatar
Capn Jimbo
Rum Evangelisti and Compleat Idiot
Posts: 3550
Joined: Mon Dec 11, 2006 3:53 pm
Location: Paradise: Fort Lauderdale of course...
Contact:

How we discovered the Painkiller...

Post by Capn Jimbo »

How we discovered the Painkiller...


When Charles Tobias first labored to make his version to what became Pussers' signature drink, he used all fresh ingredients. The only variation for his Painkillers was "2, 3 or 4" - referring to the number of shots of Pussers. The result at the usual two shot version is a perfectly balanced drink that works specifically for and with Pussers Blue Label. Although we are all free to modify any drink to our personal tastes, it's our opinion that the Painkiller is a true signature drink: memorable, balanced and simply works as is.

Our first exposure to it was in Key Largo (the first big key in the Florida Keys) at the famous Caribbean Club at the hands of a Tobias family member who lives there, and who we got to know. This signature drink, in a signature Caribbean setting, at the very location where the famous movie "Key Largo" was made, well...

It doesn't get any better.

Most mixed drinks are merely a vehicle to cover up and sell cheap but profitable booze. Compare it you can to the Painkiller (or perhaps to the Dark 'N Stormy) where each ingredient is specific, and works in harmony, yet somehow emphasizing not just rum, but the specific rum for which it was designed.

Our first Painkiller, served by a family member and in a tropical setting, bayside on the Gulf of Mexico was truly memorable. The actual event was what was then the annual kayak races attended by local, regional and world class kayakers from all around the globe. You see, South Florida and the Florida Keys are a world destination. It is well said that if you live here, you don't have to travel...

The world, and in this case the original Painkiller comes to you. The only improvement we could make was to make sure all the ingredients were absolutely freshly cut, run through our juicer, and freshly grated and shaken. To be honest - and at Sue Sue's suggestion - I later dropped in a stemmed marachino cherry and floated half a teaspoon of the red cherry juice.

To be fair though, even this modification changes its Painkiller essence. To our palate, two shots of Blue Label is perfectly balanced, yet still manages to reveal the Pussers.

Cheers!
Last edited by Capn Jimbo on Mon Feb 11, 2013 10:20 am, edited 2 times in total.
User avatar
Capn Jimbo
Rum Evangelisti and Compleat Idiot
Posts: 3550
Joined: Mon Dec 11, 2006 3:53 pm
Location: Paradise: Fort Lauderdale of course...
Contact:

Post by Capn Jimbo »

Sue Sea: "What!? We ran out of Pussers?"


Over the years, our three most purchased rums are:

1. Pussers Blue Label
2. Barbancourt Five Star
3. Mount Gay Extra Old

In that exact order. Sue Sea just loves the Grammy Awards, so I decided to surprise her with a nice Painkiller. Although nothing compares to absolutely fresh ingredients (we grow pineapples, and buy Florida oranges), this is a LOT of trouble, so this time it had to be good store bought canned juices. But then, when I started to pour the ingredients, I looked for the Pussers' Blue, and...

Nope. Gone. Oh no, Mr. Bill!!

What to do? The show is on, and I don't want to miss anything. Hmm. I perused the 150 or so bottles of rum we've reviewed, and then Sue suggested the Myers's Original. To that I decided to add some Wray & Nephew's Overproof. Lots of nice pot-stilled complexity and oomph in this combination. So I used the same ingredients in similar proportions to mix our "Ache Mender". The drink was mixed, and...

Excellent! Not the same but not so different either.

For our second version, I decided to give Mount Gay Black (100 proof) a try, as I've had the MGXO with coconut water and loved it. But this time the result was unremarkable. The drink had now become a pussified tropical drink. Just sayin...

I'm buying more Pussers today - honestly there's simply no substitute for the Pussers Painkiller...
Last edited by Capn Jimbo on Mon Feb 11, 2013 10:20 am, edited 1 time in total.
da'rum
Minor God
Posts: 957
Joined: Wed Aug 29, 2012 7:09 pm

Post by da'rum »

Oh man, A Demeraran, a Jamaican and a Trinidadian. with the Trinidadian being optional. Wray and nephew, Smith and cross or Sea Wynde mixed with Scarlett Ibis if you have it and then with anything out of DDL. Then you're set for an acceptable Pusser's replacement until you get the real thing.
in goes your eye out
Post Reply