Have you ever had a Pornstar Martini? While it’s only a Martini in name, the cocktail has gone on to become a modern classic in the UK. The drink consists of vanilla vodka, passion fruit liqueur and passion fruit purée—shaken and served with a shot of prosecco, intended to alternate with the cocktail as a palate cleanser.
Bar owner Douglas Ankrah first created the Pornstar Martini in 2003 whilst working on the menu for his bar, Townhouse, in Knightsbridge, London.
The story goes that he thought it was what a pornstar would order. Another story says that he was inspired by a stripper’s perfume. However, Ankrah said the idea for the cocktail recipe ‘was a complete accident,’ as he was developing the opening menu at the Townhouse. Ankrah also said that the drink ‘nods to the era when everyone was using oversize seven-ounce cocktail glasses.’
In 2017, Ankrah launched his pre-bottled RTD version of the popular cocktail, called P*star, to monetise the drink by bottling and marketing a premix, meant to capture the original spirit of his recipe.
The guy who created the Caesar salad never saw any money; the guy who created the Espresso Martini never saw any money. Why should this continue? So we fill up drinks companies’ pockets with money all our lives? No.
Douglas Ankrah
While Townhouse closed its doors in 2010, and Ankrah later died in 2021, the Pornstar Martini lives on, atop the palates of sophisticated drinkers in the know. And once you make your own with the recipe below, you’ll be one of those people.
Ingredients:
(Makes 1 Serving)
- 1 1/2 ounces vanilla flavoured vodka
- 1/2 ounce passion fruit liqueur (such as Passoã or De Kuyper)
- 1 ounce passion fruit puree
- 1/2 ounce lime juice, freshly squeezed
- 2 barspoons vanilla sugar (see recipe) below
- 2 ounces Prosecco, chilled
- Garnish: half of a fresh passion fruit
How to Make it
Step 1
Add everything (except the sparking wine) to a shaker with ice, and shake vigorously until well-chilled.
Step 2
Strain into a chilled Martini glass.
Step 3
Garnish with the passion fruit.
Step 3
Serve with a chilled shot glass of Prosecco on the side.
* Vanilla Sugar
- 5 cups granulated sugar
- 2 vanilla pods
Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blitz until integrated. Sift through a sieve before using or storing.
What do you think of the Pornstar Martini? We’d love to know. Leave a comment below, on Facebook, or on Twitter. And be sure to check out our other drink recipes!
