June 1, 2011
I think I may have thought of a place that will have the elusive glass swizzle sticks! I was looking over last year’s bar list and I noticed the bar Painkiller, which was bar number 184. They have some real exotic tiki drinks and stuck all kinds of fancy doo-dads in them and the place is kind of pricey, but the drinks are worth it...this just might be the place that houses the ever-elusive glass swizzle stick! Let’s find out!
It's a nice night out and the Empire State Building is Mellow Yellow.
And here we are at Painkiller. No fancy sign, just a painting on the door that you have arrived at a Tiki Bar.
Ahhh, nice and dark inside. Al will approve. Let's find a seat at the bar.
Mike and Pooja were seated next to me and were trying to figure out what to order from the cocktail selection. And that's not an easy task, there's 110 drinks on the menu!
Fancy bottles on top of the bar.
And there's a familiar face behind the bar. It's Valentin, who I met last July while visiting Painkiller on the bar crawl.
I ordered the 151 Colada which is one of the STRONG drinks in the bar. They only allow you to have one of these per visit.
Valentin is swizzling the drink together, but what sort of swizzle stick will get? The tension mounts!
Holy shitballs, he's putting a metal swizzle stick in the drink!
And here's the drink and the metal swizzle stick! Nicely done, Valentin! So far, Painkiller is the bar to beat in this swizzle stick contest!
The drink is strong and mighty potent, so in-between sips (sip ahoy!—patented catchphrase courtesy of Uncle Waltie!) let's take a look around.
Rescalla and Kaina were on duty at the end of the bar. They're both fun and nice people and Rescalla is a musician with a CD coming out that's a theme CD all about bars. We'll keep you informed about that, it sounds interesting!
A tiki goddess on the bamboo wall opposite the bar.
And another tiki lovely on the bar.
A longshot of the railing opposite the bar.
Three tiki gods hang on the wall in the back room.
And a vintage Ballantine Ale ad featuring "Papa" Hemmingway hangs on the brick wall up in the front of the bar.
The ceiling is bamboo, I think the only bamboo ceiling in Manhattan.
Okay, the drink is done, let's take a closer look at that fine swizzle stick we scored!
The end of it is a spoon...hmm...it makes me think of the early '80's for some reason...
Memories! Goodnight everybody and see you tomorrow after dark.
If They Do Say So Themselves!
(Two paragraphs from the “Aloha” page at Painkiller’s website.)
We believe that the tiki bar should be a place where one can always see a sea of smiles. The bartenders are glad to be there. The guests are happy. The cocktails, the island dress and the music aren’t necessarily the only elements that make a tiki bar a place where we all want to go for an “escape.” The PEOPLE make it great. YOU make it great. We are carrying on a tradition. This bar will be doing things differently but by no means not showing respect and reverence for those bartenders that came before us. We are attempting to do just as Trader Vic and Donn Beach did before us…Make beautiful, delicious cocktails.
We hope that we will be welcomed into the fold as an island outpost amongst the many within the pantheon that we all look towards for an “escape.” We promise to always make sure that everything that we prepare for you is made with respect and care. Our vision is practically the same as any of the great tiki bars: we hope that people will leave our bar with a smile and a sense of happiness. We want people to remember that the island of Manhattan, to us, is the greatest island on Earth. When you are at PKNY, we do not want to provide you with an escape from where you are; we want to remind you that you are where you want to be.
Painkiller
49 Essex St. (Near Grand St.)
212-777-8454
The Swizzle Stick Collection So Far
Further reading: Jeremiah’s Vanishing New York, Grub Street, Esquire and Examiner.
You might also like: Fancy Cocktail Glasses, Fancy Glasses and Fancy.
Four Other Painkillers
Vicodin
Morphine
Heroin
Budweiser
23 Comments
Reader Comments (23)
I really enjoyed this post today. Pain Killer revisited and just as great with that dark green look. Cracked up with the picture of you holding that swizzle stick spoon to your nose. I love those bars with a low ceiling like this one. The video of Don Ho was fun to watch,,,no one has done more for tourism in Hawaii than Ho,,and a few ho's don't hurt either. Hemingway picture taken at his home, Finca Vigia Havana, early 50's.
Wow, great swizzle stick! And I agree with Al, that last shot of you is a classic! Nice nightcap video!
Wow ! ... only one 151 Colada per visit ? .... I never heard of a limit before ! ..... the metal stick/spoon is cool also ..... looks like last time you were there - they gave you a yellow straw :(
and ..... you can take the "M" train there !
It's a shame fleet week is over. you could propel an aircraft carrier with that swizzle stick. Truly an engineering masterpiece. How did you manage to smuggle it out?
Great place, lots of Bamboo & metal swizzle stick/coke sppon to boot.
Careful with the metal swizzle stick Marty "You'll poke your eye out kid" (Stolen from The Christmas story)
@Al: Glad you enjoyed it, the best swizzle stick night out yet!
@Barfly: I enjoyed that video too!
@GENE: I'll take the "M" train next time! Too funny!
@csp: They gave it to me! And yes, heavy tipping followed!
@Knuckles Tiki Bar: Best line from that movie!
I can't believe you got to keep the spoon! I actually have one of those - the non-spoon end is sharp, so I use it for drilling holes in the wall, as a screwdriver, prying open things...it's a great tool, but I don't think I've ever used it as a spoon.
Marty, you realise that those heroin and cocaine dispensers give credence to every paranoid midwestern stereotype of life in New York...don't you? Rescalla and Kaina look like the perfect Tiki couple, don't you think? And as for that cool swizzle stick...I sent you a whole BOX full of glass swizzle sticks, won't you please go score an extra one sometime and send me one...c'mon...it's so COOL...I GOTTA HAVE ONE....pleasepleasepleaseplease??
Never mind, just bought a set of four at Amazon.com. They are just too cool to be without!
You didn't by any chance pull a Greg Brady and steal a cursed Tiki or something? Because the weather is pretty fucked up around here.
THAT'S a swizzle stick! Best one yet! Well that & the Playboy one ...
"They only allow you to have one of these per visit."
The next time I'll set foot into a bar that preemptively declares that I can only have one of a particular beverage will be the first time I'll set foot into such an establishment. Went to a Live Music Bar last Sunday. Waitress said " there's a 2 drink minimum at this table". I told her I wanna sit at the 4 drink minimum table. What are we becoming...a nanny state?
@Goggla: It almost makes me want to start doing coke again!
@Jaws: I'll try and get you something from there next time!
@csp: I may have, my day has been completely fucked at work!
@onemorefoldedsunset: Best one yet!
@Uncle Waltie: That's why you are my hero, sir! Sip ahoy!
Love the metal, nice to add another mix into the collection. Not sure if the cinnamon deserves to be there though...
@csp, did my sacrifice work and send the bad weather your way? We actually got into the 60's today!
nice re-visit...one hell of a score for the collection...a bit too much ice for this guy...but when in rome...
knuckles...a lot of great ones in that flick...
GENE...watch that "MTA'...oh wait...that was in boston...nevermind...
"Democracy is supposed to give you the feeling of choice, like Painkiller X and Painkiller Y. But they're both just aspirin."
~ Gore Vidal
“The end of it is a spoon...hmm...it makes me think of the early '80's for some reason...”
Made me think of opening night a few weeks back.
That’s one helluva swizzle stick!
Carmelita hold me tighter
I think I'm sinking down
And I'm all strung out on heroin
On the outskirts of town
can not believe what shows in the Comments and faves section of flickr...thought that was a one time thing...
rr
@kari: The cinnamon is for the tiki drinks, some are sweet, some are spicy.
@rr: Yes, they like the ice there! Love the quote! And yes, Cardboard Box Man's cousin is a permanent fixture at flickr.
@Harry: I think we were doing the same thing during the '80's! Great Warren Zevon Tune!
@Everybody: I'm having a really fucked up night at work and will be here late. I think you can guess where I'll be going tonight!
I made Tom a Tikki mug in my last pottery class as a joke - but now I'm determined to make a nicer one for him. I'll have to get an awesome swizzle stick to go along with it!
@MAD: I'm guessing here.
@Britta: Post a picture after you make it! I love tiki stuff!
@csp: Ha! I'll never tell! Until tomorrow that is.
Neat-o bar and cool drink. What's that other thing they put in it? Looks like a cross between cinnamon and wood (heh heh...I said wood).
@Biff: Ed Wood!