Pornstar Martini: Recipe, 5 Vodka Brands & 7 Variations

Diana Barkley (Senior Editor)

Looking for a new cocktail to sample? The Pornstar Martini is a delicious, exotic drink that is sure to be a hit. But how can you make sure this drink is made and presented to perfection? Find out in this article.

Pornstar martinis are a wholesome cocktail despite the name, with tropical flavors and a sparkling vibe. For the best martini, you’ll need to choose the right ingredients and prepare it carefully if you want to do the drink justice.

In this article, we’ll give you everything you need to make the perfect Pornstar Martini. Let’s dive into it.

Introduction to Pornstar Martini

Introduction to Pornstar Martini

The Pornstar Martini is a vodka cocktail, with flavors of passionfruit and vanilla. It’s generally served with a shot glass of champagne or prosecco on the side.

Despite being called a martini, this cocktail does not contain gin and vermouth, meaning it is not a true martini. Instead, it’s one of the many drinks that incorporate martini into their name, as they are spirit-based drinks served in a cocktail glass.

What Pornstar Martini Is

What Pornstar Martini Is

So, what exactly is a Pornstar Martini? In brief, it’s a variation on the vodka martini (or kangaroo). It takes the basic premise of a vodka-based cocktail but adds its own special flavor profile, which we will explore in greater detail below.

Brief History / Origin

The Pornstar Martini was invented in 2002 by Douglas Ankrah, the owner of London’s LAB cocktail lounge. According to Ankrah, the drink was originally named the Maverik martini after an erotic nightclub he frequented in Cape Town, South Africa.

Soon, the name evolved to rather rudely reflect the drink’s origin (while driving intrigue and sales at the same time.)

Still, the Pornstar Martini’s inventor claims that there’s nothing dirty about his drink’s name. He just wanted to invent “a stylish and confident drink; it’s pure indulgence, sexy, fun and evocative.”

Others don’t share his confidence in the name’s appeal, with the cocktail being rebranded as the Passion Star Martini by some.

Ingredients

Ingredients

To make a truly delicious Pornstar Martini, it’s essential to have high-quality ingredients and to stick to the recipe (at least the first time you make it.)

Ankrah’s original recipe calls for 80 ml vanilla vodka, 15 ml Passoa (a passion fruit liqueur), the seeds and flesh of three passion fruit halves, five teaspoons of vanilla sugar, and 100 ml of champagne, plus half a passionfruit and ice cubes for serving.

However, many modern varieties use passion fruit juice instead of fresh passion fruit for convenience, as well as adding lime juice for tartness.

If you opt to use juice rather than fresh fruit, you may want to reduce or leave out the sugar in the cocktail, to prevent it from becoming overly sweet.

Best Vanilla Vodka Brands for Pornstar Martini

Best Vanilla Vodka Brands for Pornstar Martini

When you’re buying ingredients for your Pornstar Martini, the vodka is the most important thing to consider.

Vanilla vodka is amazing when it’s good, but cheaper varieties are often overly artificial or cloyingly sweet. Here are some brands that are a safe bet if you don’t have a go-to.

Absolut Vanilla

Absolut Vanilla

Absolut is always a reliable brand of vodka, with their “infinite” distilling process delivering smooth and delicious spirits since 1879. Their vanilla vodka has a strong and pure vanilla flavor with notes of butterscotch and dark chocolate, as well as no added sugar.

Smirnoff Vanilla

If you’re looking for a budget-friendly option, Smirnoff also makes an excellent vanilla vodka. It’s simple, affordable, and great for a range of cocktails, or even on its own.

Grey Goose La Vanille

Grey Goose La Vanille

If you have more wiggle room in your budget, splurge for a high-end vanilla vodka like Grey Goose La Vanille. This liquor is flavored with vanilla beans from Madagascar and has a complex and nuanced palate.

Along with the beloved vanilla taste, this vodka has notes of orchid flowers, white chocolate, sweet almonds, and milk caramel.

Stolichnaya Vanilla

Stolichnaya Vanilla

As an excellent midrange option, this Latvian vodka is warm, welcoming, smooth, and delicious. While still sweet and creamy, this spirit is not overpowering and has subtle secondary flavors of cocoa powder, white pepper, crème anglaise, and toasted grain.

Pinnacle Vanilla Vodka

This French vodka is clean and pure tasting, with warm aromas of baked goods. It’s pleasantly sweet, with a slightly spicy aftertaste and notes of marshmallow.

Recipe – How to Make a Pornstar Martini

Recipe – How to Make a Pornstar Martini

Now we’ve given you plenty of vanilla vodka options and an ingredients list, it’s time to make your Pornstar Martini. For this recipe, you’ll ideally need a cocktail shaker, strainer, tall shot glasses, and cocktail glasses. However, you can also make do with common kitchenware if you need to:

1. Prepare: wash and halve two passion fruits, then remove the flesh and seeds of three of the four halves, leaving one aside. Remove your cocktail glasses from the freezer
2. Shake: Combine all of the ingredients apart from the champagne, one passion fruit halve, and a teaspoon of the sugar in a shaker with ice, and shake well until chilled and fully combined
3. Pour: Strain the mixture into the waiting cocktail glasses, being careful to pour smoothly to avoid bubbles. Pour the champagne or prosecco into the shot glass, filling to the brim but not over-pouring.
4. Garnish: Role the remaining passionfruit halve into the reserved teaspoon of vanilla sugar, and place into the drink.
5. Enjoy: Serve, drinking alternately from the champagne and cocktail to enjoy the interplay of flavors. Include a small spoon to eat the fruit with.

Time & Occasions for Drinking a Pornstar Martini

Time & Occasions for Drinking a Pornstar Martini

The Pornstar Martini was created with luxury and fun times in mind, which makes it a great choice for a night out. Make your own for pre-drinks, or order it at the bar or club.

The fun vibes associated with the Pornstar Martini also make it an excellent choice for a party offering: it’s sure to elevate any birthday, New Year’s Eve, or bachelorette party you make it for.

While it is generally seen as an evening or nighttime drink, the tropical flavors of the Pornstar Martini also make it an amazing choice for summertime.

Sip on this delicious cocktail while at the beach or pool, or even finish off a summer meal or barbecue with a Pornstar Martini as a treat. Like with any cocktail though, you can also just make it whenever you feel like one.

Perfect Pairings

Perfect Pairings

Pornstar martinis are sweet and have strong fruity flavors. This means they can hold their own against strongly flavored foods.

Try them with a spicy and fresh appetizer, like chips and salsa, jalapeno poppers, spiced nuts, or evening flaming hot Cheetos.

They also do well with flavor-rich but relatively light mains, such as tacos or sushi. While a Pornstar Martini could be a dessert on its own, you can always play around with the flavors and serve it with passion fruit cheesecake or vanilla ice cream.

Best Glass to Serve a Pornstar Martini

Best Glass to Serve a Pornstar Martini

Traditionally, the Pornstar Martini is served in a cocktail or martini glass. The stem of the glass allows you to hold the drink without warming it or making your hand too cold, and the wide brim allows the aromas of the drink to be enjoyed.

A cocktail or martini glass also looks aesthetically pleasing and is easy to garnish. However, you can also serve this cocktail in a coupe glass, which has rounded sides and is less steep.

If possible, you should serve the champagne or prosecco in a tall shot glass, making it easier to take small sips, However, a standard shot glass is fine as well.

Try to chill your glasses in the freezer for at least twenty or thirty minutes before serving them as straight-up drinks (chilled but served without ice in the glass). This enables the glasses to keep the drinks cool for longer without diluting their flavor.

Variations of Pornstar Martini

Variations of Pornstar Martini

Is something not quite right with your cocktail? You can always play with the recipe to get your Pornstar Martini just how you like it. Here are some common variations we think you might enjoy.

Simplified

Simplified

While this martini is super delicious, it can be a little complex to make. However, there are a few changes you can make to render it much simpler.

Primarily, simply use passion fruit juice rather than fresh passion fruit. This saves you a lot of prep time, as well as the hassle of having to find ripe passion fruit if it is not commonly grown or in season in your area.

Even better – using passion fruit juice means that you don’t need any added sweetness so you can leave the sugar out as well.

Secondly, you can skip the champagne or prosecco on the side. While this inclusion is delicious and iconic, you can still experience a classic Pornstar Martini without it. It’s one less thing to purchase, plus fewer glasses to clean up.

Finally, you can opt for a more straightforward garnish, or simply leave it off.

Sour

Sour

If you want a tarter drink, lime juice is a common addition to the Pornstar Martini. This addition brightens up the drink and balances the sweetness.

You can also use regular or citrus vodka rather than vanilla to emphasize this change. Garnish with a lime wedge, zest, or peel.

Frozen

Frozen

The Pornstar Martini is already a refreshing beverage, but you can take it to the next level by freezing it. Simply blend your ingredients with frozen mango or passionfruit, or even with crushed ice. If you like your drinks stronger, up the vodka and Passoa accordingly.

Light and Bubbly

Light and Bubbly

If you’re after a brunch version of this cocktail (not that you can’t have it with brunch as it is), try highlighting the prosecco.

Combine your passion fruit (or juice) with the Passoa and 15 to 40 ml of the vodka, depending on your strength preference. Then, use the prosecco to top to the brim and stir gently to combine. The resulting drink is sparkling, fruity, and delicious.

Mocktail

Mocktail

If you want all of the flavors of this drink without the booze, it’s super easy to make that happen too. Simply add in passion fruit juice or blended passion fruit and apple juice in place of the vodka, pour in a little vanilla syrup, and add some lime or other citrus juice for a “kick.”

Then, enjoy your virgin Pornstar Martini (what a name.)

Dry Pornstar Daiquiri

Dry Pornstar Daiquiri – with Rum

If you love the playfulness of the Pornstar Martini but want to class it up a little, try mashing it up with another iconic British cocktail: the Dry Daiquiri.

To make this drink, combine rum, passion fruit syrup, vanilla syrup, Bonanto aperitif, and lime juice. The syrups mimic the flavors of a classic Pornstar Martini while retaining the sharpness, dry mouthfeel, and warmth from the rum of the Dry Daiquiri.

Born a Star Martini

Born a Star Martini – Mamey Sapote Fruit

This drink is a Southern Californian twist on the Pornstar Martini as it uses mamey sapote – an iconic fruit local to the region as well as much of Central and South America.

To make it, combine vodka with vanilla, passionfruit, mamey sapote syrup, lime juice, and shake until chilled. You then top the drink with dry sparkling wine, vanilla-sherry spray, and a lime wedge.

Similar Cocktails You Will Enjoy

Similar Cocktails You Will Enjoy

If you loved the Pornstar Martini, there are many similar cocktails that you will likely enjoy as well. From the Espresso Martini to a Bellini, there’s sure to be something else that’ll tickle your fancy. Try a few until you find your favorite:

Espresso Martini

Espresso Martini

If you’re looking for a pick-me-up and booze all in one, you can’t get that combo in a classier form than the Espresso Martini. Like the Pornstar Martini, this cocktail is a type of vodka martini.

However, it doesn’t share the tropical vibes of the Pornstar Martini and is instead dark, rich, and elegant. To make an Espresso Martini, combine 50ml vodka, 30ml Kahlua (or another coffee liquor), 10 ml of sugar syrup, and one shot of espresso in a cocktail shaker.

Shake with ice until chilled, and serve in a martini glass. Garnish with coffee beans, and enjoy the caffeine boost.

Mango Martini

Mango Martini

If it’s the tropical fruit flavors of the Pornstar martini that you loved, try out a mango martini. To make it, you simply mix together 60 ml of vodka, 45 ml of mango juice or puree, 15 ml each of Cointreau (or triple sec) and lime juice, and a teaspoon of simple syrup.

Shake to chill, and serve in a sugar-rimmed martini glass. The notes of orange in this recipe also lend it to an orange peel or wedge garnish. The resulting drink is sweet, tart, and perfect for summer.

Pineapple Martini

Pineapple Martini

Another bright tropical fruit martini is the pineapple martini, which rose to mass popularity in the 90s.

It’s very simple to make as well: you just shake together 60 ml of vodka, 45 ml of pineapple juice, 15 ml of lime juice, and 7.5 ml of rich simple syrup, strain, and serve in a martini glass with a pineapple wedge or maraschino cherry garnish.

If you want to go the extra mile, you can also muddle fresh pineapple rather than buying juice.

Lychee Martini

Lychee Martini

If you’re looking for something a little different, sample a lychee martini. Lychees are a small fruit originating in China and popular around the world.

They taste like strawberry, pear, watermelon, and rosewater, though they really have their own unique flavor. To make a lychee martini, you combine 50 ml of vodka, 25 ml lychee liqueur, 25 ml lychee syrup, and 2 teaspoons of dry vermouth in a cocktail shaker, shake to chill, strain, and serve.

Garnish with whole lychee and a rose petal for a clear, slightly pink, sophisticated, and delicious cocktail.

Bellini

Bellini

If you’re looking to use up extra champagne or prosecco from making your Pornstar Martinis, try a bellini. This Italian cocktail is made with peach puree gently stirred into the bubbly and served in a champagne glass. It’s sweet, sparkling, and perfect for every kind of celebration.

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