A Recipe from the Caribbean

Sorry, but this is about all I picked up on my vacation in terms of recipes. Most of the drinks we had involved rum - what else? The Pain Killer is kind of the official drink of the Virgin Islands. I tasted many of these and they are decidedly delicious. Although, I wanted to name them something different, like the Stingray or the Blackbeard.

But first, a little history on Rum. Rum is made from sugarcane products such as molasses and much of it is produced in the Caribbean. It was invented in the Caribbean by slaves on sugarcane plantations in the 17th century. It gained popularity among the pirates frequenting that area. (Side note: It turns out Blackbeard was a real guy, and a notorious pirate in the Caribbean. He's said to have lit his beard on fire to intimidate enemies.) Rum's appeal spread to North America during the American Revolution, with George Washington requesting a barrel at his 1789 inauguration.

Enjoy!

Painkiller (aka Stingray or Blackbeard)

You can make a big pitcher of this, or mix one serving at a time. Either way, just pour over ice, and add a slice of pineapple and a cute umbrella - if you want to make it more festive.

2 oz. or parts dark rum
4 oz. or parts pineapple juice
1 oz. or part orange juice
1 oz. or part cream of coconut

Shake or stire ingredients, pour over ice. Sprinkle with nutmeg on top.

(Source for the picture is here.)