June 6, 2011
Last week I went to Painkiller for swizzle stick night. While they didn’t have the elusive glass swizzle stick, they did deliver the goods with this killer of a swizzler.
I also found out that they have added some drinks to the menu since the last time I was there. They now have 110 custom made drinks to choose from! As soon as I found that out, I knew what needed to be done. I had to drink the entire menu! Not all at one sitting, but I’m going every Sunday until I drink my way through the list. Why? Well, to quote a certain Lucas Jackson, it’ll be something to do.
And here we are at Painkiller. I love the fact there's not some flashy sign outside, jut the words "Tiki Bar" on the door. It kind of gives the place a clubhouse feel.
Here we are inside the bar...hey, that looks like a familiar fellow at the bar...
It's Shawn Chittle who accompanied me to Coney Island the other week!
And here's another familiar face, Val the bartender! This guy's a real pro and one of the best bartenders I've ever seen.
And here's the first drinks of the evening!
Cheers!
Kigan was one of the bar back's on duty this Sunday evening...
And Colin was the other bar back assisting Val in bartenderly duties.
And here's drink number two from the menu, a Spiced Duke. It was delicious. I'll list all the drinks I had this evening at the bottom of the post.
Part of the fun of hanging out at Painkiller is watching the making of a drink. It's a complex thing and kind of performance art. Here's Val and Kigan making my third drink.
And the finished product, the Papa Dobie. Great work, guys!
Here I am with Ian, one of the owners of Painkiller and a real nice guy. Ian's also one of the owners of Hundred Weight Ice.
Here's a classic New York photo of Ian's mom and some of her friends at a club in the '70's. Ian wasn't sure which one it was, but I'm betting money it was Max's Kansas City.
Val took a shot of me chatting with Dasha and Robert who were having drinks at the bar.
Here's Val making a flaming Scorpion bowl for a party in the back.
Wow, the fire is really crackling. Fire!
It's ready for delivery!
And here I am sampling it with the pretty ladies in the back booth who ordered it. Goodnight everybody and see you tomorrow after dark.
The Drink List
What I had from the menu.
1. Bermuda Swizzle
2. Spiced Duke
3. Hemmingway
4. Papa Doble
5. 1958 Zombie
Next week I’ll try to make more of a dent in the menu!
Painkiller
49 Essex St. (between Grand & Hester Sts.)
212-777-8454
Further reading: NY Eater, NY Times, Grub Street and Tiki Central.
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29 Comments
Reader Comments (29)
Ooh, I love Hemingways! That is a lot of big drinks!
It's going to be 95 degrees in the shade where I am and that Spiced Duke looks absolutely ambrosial!
I love that the drink menu encourages one to "have a discussion with your bartender" about your drink decision. Val looks like he could really school you on that issue.
Excellent choice of soundtrack once again.
@Isabella: The drinks there are huge and delicious!
@Jaws: Good luck cooling down, maybe a double gin and tonic in the shade?
@roadsidewonders: Glad you like the tune!
That Val isn’t fucking around!
“She drinks the zombie from the cocoa shell
She feels alright, she get it on tonight”
I wonder if the Spiced Duke, was named after Raoul Duke?
“One of the things you learn from years of dealing with drug people, is that you can turn your back on a person, but never turn your back on a drug. Especially when it's waving a razor-sharp hunting knife in your eye.” — Raoul Duke
Yeah...I even got the steel swizzels for it...they came in the mail today!!! Say, I just got through bawling out lulu.com for not supporting kindle users. I'M A KINDLE USER!!! I can't transfere your firetruck book onto my kindle so I can read it properly. You publish there, put a little pressure on them like I just did. This is ridiculous. A huge, potential market is closed to the BOTH of us because of this.
When I grow up I want to be a pirate and hire Val to make all my drinks.
P.S. Nice straw holder in that photo of you with Dasha and Robert.
WOW !
@Harry: I wondered the same thing about the Spiced Duke! I'll ask next week. Great quote from Fear and Loathing!
@Jaws: I'll look into the Kindle thing on Lulu. Glad your swizzles showed up, but it makes me guilty for not mailing the Lennon drawing! I'll try and get it to you this week.
@Capt. Biff: That straw holder is tits!
@GENE: WOW, indeedy! You have to stop at Painkiller next trip!
Great Post.
Great Drinks!
Great you are Rent Controlled!
The menu is very easy to understand,,,,they separate the frozen from the shaken and so forth. The very strong category for an extra four bucks is where I think I would camp out at, though the papa doble is a specialty that I make down here and it consists of two oz of good rum, 1 oz fresh lime juice, 1 oz fresh grapefruit juice and half oz of maraschino liquor,,,in a blender with crushed ice,,,( skip the sugar), serve it like a daiquiri,,,,it is wonderful.
@"Boris:" Everyday I'm grateful for my rent-controlled apartment!
@Al: You should mix up a batch of Papa's and send me a photo!
Happy D-Day troops. Now make like a Tiki and hit the beach.
@csp: Banzai!
Don't mind seeing Shawn's face on here! You're gonna have to start taking donations again if this is a regular thing! Looks like a fun place to hang out though. I want to be on Captain Biff's boat.
Finally! A project for you!
It's been a while since a Coopers Green hasn't it?
Might I suggest 8 Mile Creek? www.eightmilecreek.com It's got Coopers beers on tap!
240 Mulberry Street, NYC.
Go on - I dare ya!
i love all the different glasses! what a cute bar! can't wait for next week's drinkisode! lol!
@kari: I don't think donations will be necessary, I've worked enough overtime to cover it!
@Brooksy: Good to hear from you! I went there on the bar crawl and will be happy to go back again in your honor! Maybe tomorrow on swizzle stick night!
@rita r: I love the name, "Drinkisode!" Good one!
a sub quest for MAD...great...let's see gidget tok on the alphabet and MAD takes on PKNY's drink menu...some exciting days and nights ahead...all the best in their quests....
raisin' one to csp for remindin' all of us of an unbelievable military tactic...that really may have won that thing....off point....MAD it was Achtung! not Banzai!....
MAD....if you do run into financial trouble on this quest...speak up...will paypal you what i can...
Yeah, I know I'm ugly... I said to a bartender, 'Make me a zombie.'
He said 'God beat me to it.'
~Rodney Dangerfield
rr
@Marty - I'm always here mate, I just don't post much.
Very much enjoying the new blog. Keep up the good work!
@rr: Thanks for the donation offer, very generous and nice of you, but I should be fine, but I really appreciate your offer and the donations and shirts you bought in the past! Love that Rodney Dangerfield quote!
@Brooksy: Nice to know, mate! I'll be tipping a Cooper's Green in your honor soon! Maybe I'll even have one for Clacky as well!
Woah - there's no way I would have been able to make that much of a dent in the menu and still make it home - impressive, sir! I love all the tikki mugs - they have inspired me to attempt another one in class on Wednesday!
Love the Val shots. He looks kinda possessed, in a good way.
@Britta: I'm anxious to see your tiki mug! I trust you'll put it up on your blog?
@onemorefoldedsunset: Val is possessed when he's making drinks, I don't know how he remembers everything! Oh, maybe because he's not drinking the whole time he's in there like I am!
I had no idea of the existence of such a lovely and cool place. Big Tiki glasses rock. My Dad had a spoonswizzle stick just like the one in the photo--truly a classic. Nice way to make friends and numb the pain. Have a good night.
I will but don't get too excited-my carving skills are limited!
@Melanie: It's a nice relaxing, windowless place!
@Britta: Okay, I look forward to seeing the results!
Thanks again Marty! That was my first tiki drink! What a place, what a drink and what a guy to hang out with! See ya soon bro!
@Shawn: Great to see you again, as well! I'll be there next Sunday if you want to stop by!