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The Guardian
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Born a star: the juicy history of the passion fruit martini
To many people, the expert combination of vanilla vodka, passion fruit puree, Passoã and champagne serves as a syrupy promise of a good night ahead. To me, however, even a whiff of a pornstar martini takes me right back to my waitressing days in the Midlands, and to sticky hands and broken glass after I dropped a tray of four of the damned things. I don't need a drinks marketing report to tell me it was the most popular cocktail in 2018; I lived it. The Guardian's journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. The pornstar martini feels like a seedy, hedonistic concoction dreamed up in the 1980s by way of Miami's South Beach, but it was in fact devised in London, by legendary Ghanaian mixologist Douglas Ankrah, who honed his skills at the Hard Rock Cafe before setting up the fabled London Academy of Bartending, or Lab bar, in 1996 (this later led to the launch of Lab Bar on Old Compton Street and later Townhouse in Knightsbridge). Ankrah invented the pornstar martini in 2003, although it was originally called the maverick martini, after a favourite gentleman's club in Cape Town. His explanation for how he came up with the idea drips with the understatement of a true icon: 'I created [it] in 15 minutes or less,', he once recalled. 'Like how Mick and Keith wrote (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction in 10 minutes.' Brilliant! There are myriad rumours as to how the drink got its original name, but Ankrah once divulged in an interview with The Buyer that it was simply his interpretation of what he thought a porn star might like to drink. Give 'pornstar martini' a search in your preferred search engine, however, and you're unlikely to be presented with any of the supermarket offerings; in fact, I can't be held responsible for what you will come across. These days, however, the drink goes by the rather coyer name 'passion fruit martini'. I grumbled a month or so ago about this change of name (if you're old enough to drink, you're probably old enough to know what a porn star is, after all) and asked what the reason might be. Turns out, I should have popped my query in the search bar of this very website: in 2019, Marks & Spencer had to rename its bestselling pre-batch cocktail following the upholding of a complaint by the Portman Group, the UK's alcohol watchdog. The complaint claimed an association between alcohol and sexual activity or sexual success, a breach of section 3.2d of its code of practice. Fair enough: the association of intoxication with sexual success is a sticky one, let alone a realistic one (am I right, ladies?), but it feels a bit of a shame to erase the well-meaning work of Ankrah, as well as the oldest industry in the world. All Shook Up Passion Fruit Martini £1.50 (250ml) Tesco, 3.4%. The sales pitch says this is perfect for 'the 'gram', but it needs some extra vodka to make it stronger. Funkin Nitro Cocktails Passion Fruit Martini £2.25 (200ml) Sainsbury's, 5%. Nitro bubbles give this a velvety effervescence, while Funkin's fruit purees are an industry staple for a reason. Moth Passionfruit Martini £4 (125ml) Waitrose, 14.9%. Anything Moth does is tasty, and this has a far more appropriate ABV than two above. Black Lines Passion Fruit Martini £22 (500ml) Black Lines, 14%. Always reliable, you need only shake this pre-batch with ice and strain into a glass.
Hindustan Times
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Raise a toast: It's World Passion Fruit Martini Day!
Get ready to raise your glasses today, on the May 28th. This day marks World Passion Fruit Martini Day, a celebration of one of the UK's most beloved cocktails. This vibrant drink, also known as the Pornstar Martini, was crafted in 2002 by bartender Douglas Ankrah, at the Townhouse bar in London. Pornstar Martini also topped 2024's Google's top 10 most searched recipes. It is said, Ankrah was looking for a way to fetch a modern and playful twist to the classic Martini. Blending vanilla vodka, passion fruit purée, and a shot of Prosecco, the flavours were inspired by the bartender's childhood place- South Africa. In 2021, Funkin Cocktails, a UK-based brand known for its 100% natural fruit purées, syrups, and cocktail mixers, established this day to honour the cocktail's tropical allure and its rise to cultural icon status. With its sweet-tart flavour and eye-catching presentation, the Passion Fruit Martini has captivated taste buds worldwide. So, whether you're at a night-club partying your heart out, or hosting an in-house gathering, opting this serve is definitely. Ingredients for this tropical drink, is no joke. Each adds a character, a note that elevates the experience. For example, the vanilla vodka, adds a smooth, and slightly sweet base with warm vanilla notes that complement the tartness of passion fruit. A sweet, tart and intensely fruity flavour is delivered by the main character: passion fruit puree and its liqueur version balances the sweetness and richness. However, the classic drink's ingredients vary a tad bit from one bar to another. Here is the classic passion fruit martini, as was curated by Ankrah, for you to enjoy: 2 spoons vanilla sugar 50ml vanilla vodka 12.5ml passion fruit liqueur 25ml passion fruit puree Passion fruit slice for garnishing 50ml champagne Shake the first four ingredients and fine strain into a martini glass. Finish with a slice of passion fruit. Serve with a side of champagne in a shot glass. Written by Rajlekha Roy Burman
