The pornstar martini may be referred to as more of a feminine drink, but ultimately, it’s alcoholic, and it’s delicious, so you should definitely make sure you drink them.
Not exactly a martini in the most traditional sense, but most likely named so due to the glass it’s served in, the porn star martini is unequivocally a cocktail associated with the female drinking contingent. We might be stretching the imagination a little for Australian men here, but if you happen to like vodka, tropical flavours and you have a sweet tooth, it could be your next go-to tipple.
There are a few variations of how to make the pornstar martini, and making your own at home will depend on you having specific spirits (if you want to follow the most original recipe) but once you’ve mastered it you’ll be the drink-providing life of your other half’s next party.
Origin Of The Porn Star Martini
Unlike other cocktails whose origins are left open to debate, the porn star martini is more concrete in its founding. It was invented in 1999 by Douglas Ankrah, owner of the LAB London bar in, you guessed it, London. LAB (London Academy of Bartending) London shut its Soho doors in September 2016, but the porn star martini has remained a staple of British drinking culture, so much so it has become the most popular cocktail in the whole of the United Kingdom (Northern England can probably be thanked for this).
As for that name, Ankrah insists he didn’t name it to be deliberately provocative, but instead it was chosen to “evoke a stylish a confident drink, one that is pure indulgence, sexy, fun and evocative.” The guy also claims to not be a fan of pornography or to idolise any porn stars in particular. Yeah, ok, and we live on the moon. We’d love to ask him the same question off the record, we imagine it will receive a completely different response.
Porn Star Martini Ingredients
So what actually goes into a porn star (the drink)? Well, it has every woman’s favourite spirit vodka as its base, specifically vanilla vodka. If the bar you find yourself stuck to doesn’t use vanilla vodka, they should at least use some vanilla-flavoured syrup to achieve the same flavour.
You’re also not restricted to using passion fruit juice, as passion fruit puree will also suffice. If using puree, you may want to consider double straining your cocktail to remove the pulp.
- Vanilla vodka – not hard to come by, but Absolut and Margaret River’s Vanilla Vodka are particularly seductive
- Passoã – a passionfruit liqueur made in France
- Passion fruit juice/puree
- Fresh lime juice
- Shot glass of prosecco
- Passion fruit to garnish
- Cocktail shaker
- Cocktail glass
Classic Porn Star Martini Measurements
As with most cocktails, there is some variation with regards to measurements of each ingredient. However, the following recipe is considered the ‘official’ one, but you can of course experiment to cater to your tastes.
- 30ml vanilla vodka
- 30ml Passoã
- 10ml passion fruit juice
- 10ml lime juice
- 30ml shot of prosecco
If you don’t have Passoã you can increase the measure of vanilla vodka. You may then want to play around with the measures of juices to counteract the taste of the vodka.
- 60ml vanilla vodka
- 30ml passion fruit juice/puree
- 15ml lime juice
- 30ml shot of prosecco
Subsequently, if you don’t have vanilla vodka either, you can get your hands on some vanilla syrup to have the same effect
- 60ml vodka
- 30ml passion fruit juice/puree
- 30ml vanilla syrup
- 15ml lime juice
- 30ml shot of prosecco
Classic Porn Star Martini Recipe
Rather than just pour all the ingredients in your mouth and swirl them around, there is, in fact, a more sophisticated method to the porn star martini. Note that it is traditionally served with a shot of prosecco.
- Pour ice into a cocktail glass to chill
- Pour all the ingredients, except the prosecco, into a cocktail shaker
- Shake with ice until chilled
- Strain into the chilled cocktail glass (ice tipped out)
- Slice a passion fruit in half and float one half on top of the cocktail
- Serve with a shot of prosecco on the side
Expert Twist On The Porn Star Martini
Hayley Dixon, Tequila Specialist at Proximo tells us, “this drink can be made in so many different ways and given it doesn’t have an incredibly long history where we can look up where it was first published, I have gone with the Difford’s Guide recipe (the recipe with the vanilla syrup).”
“In my opinion this would be way too sweet and potentially a little boozy. I would up the lime juice and cut back on Vodka but then again, I have never ordered a Porn Star Martini.”
Hayley also gave DMARGE a unique twist on the Porn Star, that is incredibly easy to replicate at home.
“I have taken the classic and basically just added a little more complexity. Black Bush Whiskey carries quite a lot of vanilla notes itself so it is a perfect substitute for vodka in this drink.”
“The sherry adds more depth and some really nice nutty notes. The rest is basically just the classic but no one wants just 60ml of Champagne, 90ml is way better!”
‘Black Bush Martini’
Ingredients
- 30ml Bushmills Black Bush Irish Whiskey
- 15ml Olorosso Sherry
- 30ml Passionfruit Pulp (the tinned stuff is fine!)
- 20ml Fresh Lime Juice
- 20ml Simple Syrup
- 5ml Vanilla Extract
- 90ml Champagne – Served on the side
- Garnish Charred Lime Husk
Method
- Grab your finest Coupe Glass or Nick & Nora Glass and pop it in the freezer, this drink is best served as cold as possible
- Pour your Champagne into a glass and begin drinking it, you don’t need it for the cocktail, it is simply there because…who doesn’t want Champagne while they are doing the hard job of making the drinks. You’ve earnt it
- Grab your Cocktail Shaker, Jigger or another measuring device, Strainer, Citrus Juicer and a Blowtorch/Lighter
- Juice your lime but hold on to half after it has been juiced for Garnish
- Grab your blowtorch or lighter and ‘char’ the flesh part of the lime half until you start seeing it turn black. You want it to look pretty but you want the beautiful aroma to come off it also
- Add all your ingredients to your cocktail shaker and add ice, lots of ice
- Shake as hard as you can for around 20 seconds. The aim it to get it nice and cold, add some dilution and get a nice amount of ‘foam’ so you can balance your lime half on top of your cocktail after it has been strained
- Grab your glass from the freezer and fine strain your cocktail into your glass
- Float your lime half on the top with the beautiful charred flesh facing upwards
- Drink alongside your Champagne (if you still have some left)
How To Drink A Porn Star Martini
Aside from likely being in a dive bar somewhere, there is some debate as to how you’re actually meant to drink the porn star. Some like to pour the shot of prosecco into their cocktail before drinking, while others will finish the cocktail and have the prosecco as a chaser. The best – and most agreed-upon way – is to alternate between drinking the two.
Of course, with its flamboyant appearance, you may want to think about drinking the porn star martini in a dark corner somewhere, or with a beer on the table as well to disguise the fact you’re actually letting your tastebuds run free for the night.
Porn Star Martini FAQ
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