Douglas Ankrah, LAB Bar, London, 2002. Ankrah (who later founded the Townhouse bar group) created the drink with the provocative name to generate conversation and attention. The drink's success at LAB was immediate and spread through London's bar scene. Ankrah has been clear that the name was about the quality of the experience, not its content.
The Pornstar Martini is the UK's most ordered cocktail — vanilla vodka, Passoa (passion fruit liqueur), fresh passion fruit, vanilla syrup, and lime juice, served with a shot of Prosecco on the side for either mixing in or drinking separately. Created by Douglas Ankrah at LAB Bar in London in 2002, its name was intended to evoke the idea of something so good it was worthy of a star's attention — and it has delivered: the drink has consistently topped UK and global cocktail sales charts for over a decade. It is a serious cocktail beneath its provocative name: the passion fruit's tartness, the vanilla's warmth, and the Prosecco's effervescence create a three-stage drinking experience that is technically considered.
FOOD PAIRING: The Pornstar Martini's tropical-vanilla-citrus sweetness pairs with light desserts, tropical fruit, and fresh seafood. Provenance 1000 pairings: passion fruit pavlova (direct mirror), mango and lime cheesecake, vanilla panna cotta with passion fruit coulis, coconut sorbet with tropical fruit, and grilled lobster with vanilla butter.
{"Vanilla vodka is the base: Absolut Vanilla or Stolichnaya Vanil. The vanilla adds warmth and sweetness that connects the spirit to the vanilla syrup and passion fruit's tropical character.","Passoa (passion fruit liqueur, 17% ABV) provides the passion fruit sweetness and colour base. It is the correct liqueur for this drink — alternatives produce different results.","Fresh passion fruit: half a passion fruit scooped and added to the shaker (seeds, pulp, and juice) provides the aromatic intensity and slight tartness that Passoa alone cannot deliver.","Vanilla syrup (not simple syrup): the additional vanilla reinforces the vodka's warmth. 1/4 oz is the standard amount — more and the drink becomes cloying.","Lime juice (1/2 oz) provides the acid that prevents the passion fruit and vanilla from becoming one-dimensionally sweet.","Standard ratio: 1.5 oz vanilla vodka, 1/2 oz Passoa, 1/2 passion fruit (flesh), 1/4 oz vanilla syrup, 1/2 oz lime juice. Shake very hard with ice and double-strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe. Float the unused passion fruit half on top of the foam. Serve with a shot glass of chilled Prosecco alongside."}
The drinking ritual of the Pornstar Martini — consume the cocktail, then chase with the Prosecco shot, or alternate — creates a two-phase experience that is part of the drink's identity and part of why it is so popular in social settings. For service at volume: batch the vodka, Passoa, vanilla syrup, and lime juice (without fresh passion fruit) and add fresh passion fruit per drink to order. The passion fruit float on the foam must be fresh — the visual of the halved passion fruit on white foam is the drink's signature.
{"Using plain vodka instead of vanilla vodka: the vanilla is structural in the Pornstar Martini, not decorative.","Skipping the fresh passion fruit: Passoa alone produces a flat, one-dimensional result. The fresh fruit's seeds, pulp, and aromatic compounds are essential.","Serving without the Prosecco shot: the Prosecco is not optional — it is the drink's signature second component. Some drinkers pour it in; others alternate sips. The choice is the experience.","Over-sweetening: the passion fruit and Passoa provide significant sweetness. Reduce vanilla syrup if using a particularly sweet Passoa batch."}