White Bay's Soggy Dollar Bar & the Painkiller

Jost Van Dyke's breathtakingly beautiful White Bay

Arriving on the stunning crescent-shaped white sand beach of White Bay on the island of Jost Van Dyke, is like disappearing down the rabbit hole. The bay is the colour of pure aqua and home to just a few beach bars — the most famous being The Soggy Dollar Bar — known for inventing the Painkiller. 

The Soggy Dollar Bar

The Soggy Dollar Bar is a landmark BVI destination and reknowned as one of the best beach bars in the world! It's completely relaxed and absolutely charming, with a small bar area, beach chairs and tables in the sand, and a small shop selling 'Soggy Dollar' t-shirts! You can lie in a hammock, play 'hook the ring' or just order your Painkiller and people watch. 

The Soggy Dollar Bar 'Ring Game'

The recipe for the Painkiller, developed by Daphne Henderson, the owner of the Soggy Dollar Bar, and commercialised by Charles Tobias, the founder of Pussers on Tortola, is believed to be four parts pineapple, one part cream of coconut and one part orange juice - adding Rum (Pussers, of course) and a dash of freshly grated nutmeg on top.

Mitch at the Soggy Dollar Bar

There's no dock at White Bay, so sailors need to anchor as close as they can to the beach and swim ashore — so naturally, the bar has no problem accepting soggy dollars — and the swim to the bar is definitely worth the effort!

The Painkiller 
Serves 4

8 oz Pusser's dark rum
4 oz Coco Lopez (sweetened cream of coconut)
16 oz pineapple juice
4 oz orange juice
Nutmeg, for garnish

Shake all ingredients together and pour over ice in a tall glass. Sprinkle nutmeg on top, and serve. I bet you won't be able to have just have one! Cheers.