Anyone who’s watched a James Bond flick (aka everyone!) will probably recognise the classic Vodka Martini. A cocktail steeped in class and glamour. Next came the Dirty Martini which gave a bit of edge to the polished traditional Martini, and in terms of household names, they were your choices..

But since the turn of the Millennium, we’ve seen some new players enter the Martini arena.. With the double-team of the Espresso Martini and the Pornstar Martini, the cocktail menu suddenly received an explosion of excitement across the UK and beyond!

We’ll save the Espresso Martini for another blog as the origin story is equally as interesting. But with Pornstar Martini Day coming up on Sept 6th, we wanted to take a deep dive into its origins, who discovered it, where the name came from and what the heck is Passoā??

What are the origins of the Pornstar Martini?

This quintessential cocktail of the 21st Century was created by famed mixologist, Douglas Ankrah following a trip to Cape Town, South Africa where he had been penning his latest cocktail book. During the trip, Ankrah had been mulling over the most popular drinks and flavours of the moment, namely vodka, prosecco and passion fruits, as was attempting to create a cocktail that captured these ingredients.

Inspired by the environment at Cape Town’s premier Gentleman’s Club, Mavericks, Ankrah was looking to create a drink experience that was “bold, sexy and playful” and his new creation certainly ticked all boxes. Thus the Maverick Martini was born.. Wait, what did you call it..?

Where does the name Pornstar Martini come from?

Firstly, let’s address the elephant in the room. Much like the aforementioned Espresso Martini, the Pornstar Martini isn’t strictly a classic “Martini”. Yes, it is served in a traditional Martini cocktail glass, but with the lack of vermouth plus some additional ingredients delivering a sweeter taste experience, there are many mixologists who baulk at the liberties taken in naming this particular cocktail!

So what about the “Pornstar” bit? Upon returning to the UK, Ankrah recognised his Maverick Martini needed a bit more tongue-in-cheek to land with the London cocktail scene. He needed a name that perhaps lowered the level of “sophistication” to make it more approachable, while making menu-readers stop in their tracks and take note of this new cocktail hitting bars and hangouts across the city. 

It certainly worked, quickly becoming the UK’s Favourite Cocktail since 2018 and the most searched cocktail on Difford’s Guide for six years and counting! RTD’s quickly popping up in some of the biggest UK-based retailers such as Marks & Spencer, although they had to tone down the name on the side of the can to the “Passion Star Martini”!

What is Passoā?

So you want to make a Pornstar Martini at home but you fancy being a bit more adventurous than simply buying an RTD? You fancy getting out your shakers and strainers to craft your own Pornstar Martini? No problem, just don’t forget the Passoā..

Wait, what’s Passoā? I thought Pornstar Martini’s were just vodka, passion fruit and a bit of prosecco on the side? 

Well yes, that’s true to a certain extent. But to get the full Pornstar Martini experience, the original recipe was made with Passoā, a passion fruit flavoured red liqueur, traditionally using juice from Brazil.

The distinctive matt black bottle with brightly coloured tiki branding launched originally back in the 1980’s in the Netherlands and was part of the Rémy Cointreau group having been conceived by the then Master Distiller of Cointreau. But following the end of a Joint Venture with Lucas Bols, Remy Cointreau sold their shares to their counterpart.

 

What are the ingredients in a Pornstar Martini?

So you’ve got your Passoā, what else do you need to make your own Pornstar Martini at home? Check out the ingredient list plus the method below for the original Pornstar Martini recipe;

INGREDIENTS

• 25ml Vodka (the original recipe calls for Grey Goose La Vanille)
• 25ml Passoã
• 25ml Passion Fruit Puree
• 25ml Apple Juice
• 2tsp Vanilla Sugar
• 35ml Prosecco
• Half a Passion Fruit Shell

METHOD

Pour the vodka, Passoã, passion fruit puree, apple juice and vanilla sugar into a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously with ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with the passion fruit shell. Serve with a shot of prosecco on the side and enjoy!

How can I make a non-alcoholic Pornstar Martini?

Looking to find an alcohol-free version of the Pornstar Martini? We’ve got you covered! From our range of Reimagined Classics recipes, check out the ingredients below with the method;

INGREDIENTS

• 25ml CROSSIP Fresh Citrus
• 25ml Mango Juice
• 5ml Lime Juice
• 5ml Vanilla Syrup
• 1/2 Passionfruit
• Shot of Non-Alcoholic Sparkling Wine
• Garnish with 1/2 Passionfruit

METHOD

Scoop out the passionfruit and put pulp in a shaker. Add all liquid ingredients to a shaker. Shake vigorously with ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with the passion fruit shell. Serve with a shot of non-alcoholic sparkling wine on the side and enjoy!

Struggling to find a tasty non-alcoholic sparkling wine? Check out either Noughty or Wild Idol, we're huge fans of both!