Head to head
Hot Buttered Rum and Painkiller side by side: what changes in the recipe, the balance, the strength and the calories.
The difference, by the numbers
Both have dark rum. Only the Hot Buttered Rum has butter and brown sugar and water; only the Painkiller has pineapple juice, orange juice and cream of coconut. In parts, a Hot Buttered Rum is 1 rum and 2½ water; a Painkiller is 2 rum, 4 pineapple, 1 orange and 1 coconut. By volume, the Hot Buttered Rum is 69% mixer and juice, 28% spirit and 3% syrup and sugar; the Painkiller is 75% mixer and juice and 25% spirit. That makes them close cousins on the ratio map.
The Hot Buttered Rum is the stronger drink in the glass (11.3% ABV against 7.1%), but being smaller it holds about the same alcohol (1.35 standard drinks each). The Painkiller has more calories (about 342 against 152) and more sugar (34.0 g against 2.6 g). The Hot Buttered Rum is built and served in an Irish coffee glass; the Painkiller is shaken and served in a goblet.
Tiki & Punches · Rum
The ratio · 1 : 2½
Full Hot Buttered Rum recipe →
Highlighted: not in the Painkiller.
Tiki & Punches · Rum
The ratio · 2 : 4 : 1 : 1
Highlighted: not in the Hot Buttered Rum.
Each drink sits nearer the corners it has more of: spirit, vermouth and bitter, citrus, mixer, syrup or liqueur. The gray dots are the other classics. Explore the full ratio map.
Hot Buttered Rum vs.
Painkiller vs.