Painkillers!

The Soggy Dollar Bar, located on White Beach Bay, on the island of Jost Van Dyke, British Virgin Islands, is the birthplace of The Painkiller, one of my favorite rum concoctions. The bar is so named because, by the time you get there, your money is soggy from having had to swim ashore. The pristine, white sand beach, you see, has no pier.

We went there in 1997, when my husband won an all-expense paid trip through work. During our stay, the company arranged for a catamaran to take the group from St. Thomas to Jost Van Dyke. When we arrived at White Beach Bay, a marvelous barbecue was being prepared right on the beach for us; that's when a waiter handed me my first Painkiller. I liked it so much that I scribbled the recipe on the back of the book I had brought with me (between the unexpected wet landing, sand and partially smeared writing, the book was quite a mess by the time I got home, but I haven't been able to part with it).

I made some Painkillers today, and a lot of happy memories from this trip came flooding back . . . Here's the link for the recipe: http://www.pussers.com/rum/cocktails/painkiller/popup

Here I am, at White Beach Bay, sitting under a palm tree, reading a book - my idea of paradise . . .

My husband and I both agree that, aside from our honeymoon, this was the most wonderful trip we have ever taken . . .

Ahh . . . I have been longing for a trip to the Caribbean lately . . .