Calcutta Painkiller Cocktail
This cocktail has been brewing in my mind for a long time. I absolutely love a classic Painkiller — you can find a recipe for that in The Buslife Kitchen Vol. 2 — and it is really the sprinkling of nutmeg that makes the drink. Sure, rum, coconut, orange, and pineapple go together beautifully, but the aroma of the nutmeg really separates that Caribbean gem from its peers. So, what separates this Calcutta Painkiller from the original?
As the name implies, this cocktail is giving the Painkiller a touch of South Asian flavor. Instead of orange and pineapple juices, we’ve used mango and lime, another classic pairing. Mixed with gold rum and the sweet cream of coconut syrup, you already have yourself an excellent drink. But it is the chai spice sprinkled over the top that really plants that really plants the Indian flag in this drink. It might not complete replace the Painkiller in your home bar menu, but it certainly find a spot beside it — and there is always room for one more excellent drink.
I will include the proportions for my chai spice mix at the end of this post. For now, here’s the cocktail recipe.
Calcutta Painkiller Cocktail
Ingredients
Method
- Add rum, mango juice, cream of coconut, and lime juice to a shaker with ice.
- Shake vigorously for 20 seconds.
- Strain into a rocks glass with additional ice.
- Top with a heavy dusting of chai spice, and serve.
You can mix up some of my chai spice blend with the proportions below. If you don’t have all of those on hand, don’t worry, just use what you have — the result will still be delicious.
Chai Spice Mix:
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp ginger
2 tsp cardamom
1 tsp clove
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp allspice
½ tsp white pepper