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Cocktail History
The Porn Star Martini is a modern cocktail that was created by Douglas Ankrah in 2002 while he was working at Townhouse in London, England. Although not made using the true Martini template, the recipe calls for a unique mixture of vanilla vodka and simple syrup with passion fruit and lime to make a tangy yet sweet drink that has become wildly popular all over the world.
Cocktail Ingredients
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Sparkling Wine: This is a carbonated wine made with white or red grapes. We used Champagne Moutard Père & Fils Brut Prestige because it’s smooth and flavorful. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Gruvi Non-Alcoholic Prosecco in place of the sparkling wine.
Vanilla Vodka: This is a type of vodka made with vanilla pods, grains, vegetables or fruits, and alcohol. We used Smirnoff Vanilla Vodka because it has a tasty vanilla flavor and is affordable. For a mocktail version of this drink, try STRYKK Not Vanilla V*dka in place of the vanilla vodka.
Passion Fruit Purée: This is a fruit spread made with puréed passion fruit, sugar, and water. We used homemade passion fruit purée.
Passion Fruit Liqueur: This is a liqueur made with passion fruit, grapefruit, cherry, sugar, and alcohol. We used Passoã Passion Fruit Liqueur because it’s incredibly flavorful. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Liber & Co. Tropical Passion Fruit Syrup in place of the passion fruit liqueur.
Vanilla Syrup: This is a sweetener made with vanilla pods, sugar, and water. We also made this syrup using Alex’s recipe.
Lime Juice: This is the liquid juice of a lime. We used freshly squeezed lime juice.
Passion Fruit: This is a small and round tropical fruit with a tangy interior flesh.
Bartending Tools
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:
Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. We used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Boston Shaker: This is used to shake ingredients. We used the Boston shaker from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Hawthorne Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is shaken. We used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.
Paring Knife: This is used to cut ingredients. We used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.
Juicer: This is used to juice citrus. We used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer.
Cocktail Pick: This is used to hold the garnish. We used one from the I-MART Stainless Steel Cocktail Pick Set.
Tasting Notes
The Porn Star Martini features strong passionfruit aromas and has a taste that initially brings forward sweet passion fruit mixed with milky vanilla on the swallow with a bit of lime tartness for balance.
Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: We weren’t sure what to expect of a fruity early 2000s cocktail but were both pleasantly surprised at how truly great this drink tasted. The tart passion fruit works very well with the vanilla; we can see now why it’s gained the popularity it has over the last twenty years.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Alex’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
“I would say the iconic Porn Star Martini lives up to its name, especially if you subscribe to the theory that its inventor dreamed it up in reference to a stripper’s perfume. The drink features a strong, alluring aroma of passion fruit that carries through with a fruity sweetness accented by vanilla on the finish. I can certainly see why it’s a crowd-pleaser. It also definitely tastes like something that would be called a ‘Martini’ pre-2007, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing to anyone who isn’t a Martini purist since anything delicious and served up was considered a martini back in those days.”—
Kendall’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“I only learned about this cocktail when we started researching keywords for our blog back in 2021. It turns out this is one of the most-searched cocktails in the world, so I’m glad we were finally able to find out if it’s worth the hype. Only a few sips in, and sure enough, it earned a five-star rating from me! The passion fruit and vanilla are a fascinating combo that I really, really loved. It’s likely that this will become staple in my warm-weather rotation especially.”
Recipe
This cocktail recipe was adapted from Dessert Cocktails: 40 Deliciously Indulgent Sweet Drinks by David T. Smith and Keli Rivers.
Add vanilla vodka, passion fruit purée, passion fruit liqueur, vanilla syrup, lime juice, and cubed ice to a shaker.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Fine strain into a cocktail glass.
Garnish with passion fruit.
(Optional) Serve with shot of sparkling wine on the side.
Ingredients
Directions
Add vanilla vodka, passion fruit purée, passion fruit liqueur, vanilla syrup, lime juice, and cubed ice to a shaker.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Fine strain into a cocktail glass.
Garnish with passion fruit.
(Optional) Serve with shot of sparkling wine on the side.
Make It a Mocktail: Use Gruvi Non-Alcoholic Prosecco in place of the sparkling wine, STRYKK Not Vanilla V*dka in place of the vanilla vodka, and Liber & Co. Tropical Passion Fruit Syrup in place of the passion fruit liqueur to try a booze-free version of this drink.
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More Valentine’s Day Cocktails
If you like this Valentine’s Day-inspired cocktail recipe, here are a few others we’ve tried that you may enjoy:
Park Avenue: A sparkling wine cocktail made with brandy, orange curaçao, and red wine syrup
Brandywine Sour: A brandy cocktail made with sweet & sour mix, dessert wine, and red wine syrup
Café Amore: A brandy cocktail made with coffee, amaretto liqueur, simple syrup, whipped cream, and almonds
Cherry Clafoutis: A brandy cocktail made with white crème de cacao, maraschino liqueur, and a cherry
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