The Pornstar Martini is a passion-fruit-flavoured cocktail made with vanilla-flavoured
vodka
Vodka ( ; is a clear distilled beverage, distilled alcoholic beverage. Its varieties originated in Poland and Russia. Vodka is composed mainly of water and ethanol but sometimes with traces of impurities and flavourings. Traditionally, it is ...
,
Passoã,
passion fruit
''Passiflora edulis'', commonly known as passion fruit, is a vine species of passion flower native to the region of southern Brazil through Paraguay to northern Argentina. It is cultivated commercially in tropical and subtropical areas for its ...
puree, and vanilla sugar. It is traditionally accompanied by a chilled
shot glass
A shot glass is a glass originally designed to hold or measure spirits or liquor, which is either imbibed straight from the glass ("a shot") or poured into a cocktail ("a drink"). An alcoholic beverage served in a shot glass and typically consu ...
of
champagne
Champagne (; ) is a sparkling wine originated and produced in the Champagne wine region of France under the rules of the appellation, which demand specific vineyard practices, sourcing of grapes exclusively from designated places within it, spe ...
. Some bars have adapated the original recipe to be more cost effective by using citrus and pineapple juice, though it creates a different flavour and texture. The cocktail was created in London in 2002 by Douglas Ankrah.
It is not a true
martini
Martini may refer to:
* Martini (cocktail), a drink made with gin and vermouth, garnished with an olive or a lemon twist
* Martini (vermouth), a brand of vermouth
* Martini (surname), an Italian surname
* Martini (automobile company), a Swiss auto ...
, but is one of many
drinks that incorporate the term ''Martini'' into their names.
The Pornstar Martini was reported to be the most ordered cocktail in the United Kingdom in November 2018.
Origins
The Pornstar Martini was invented by Douglas Ankrah (1970–2021), owner of LAB Bar in Soho, London, United Kingdom, at his bar Townhouse in London in 2002.
Ankrah says it was inspired by a visit to Mavericks Revue Bar Gentlemen's Club, a strip club in
Cape Town, South Africa
Cape Town is the legislature, legislative capital city, capital of South Africa. It is the country's oldest city and the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. Cape Town is the country's List of municipalities in South Africa, second-largest ...
.
Name
Although the name has proved controversial, Ankrah denied that he named it to be deliberately provocative.
In interviews, Ankrah claimed he used the "porn star" name to evoke "a stylish and confident drink...
hat's..pure indulgence, sexy, fun and evocative". Ankrah also denied being a fan of pornography, or idolising any porn stars in particular.
In 2019, the British retailer
Marks & Spencer
Marks and Spencer plc (commonly abbreviated to M&S and colloquially known as Marks & Sparks or simply Marks) is a major British multinational retailer based in London, England, that specialises in selling clothing, beauty products, home produc ...
renamed their Porn Star Martini products to Passion Star Martini, following complaints that the name normalised pornography.
See also
*
Vodka martini
The martini is a cocktail made with gin and vermouth, and garnished with an olive, a lemon twist, or both. Over the years, the martini has become one of the best-known mixed alcoholic beverages. A common variation, the vodka martini, uses vodka ...
*
List of cocktails
A cocktail is a mixed drink typically made with a distilled beverage, distilled liquor (such as arrack, brandy, cachaça, gin, rum, tequila, vodka, or Whisky, whiskey) as its base ingredient that is then mixed with other ingredients or garnishme ...
References
{{IBACocktails
2002 introductions
Cocktails with fruit juice
Cocktails with lime juice
Cocktails with vodka
Mixed drinks