With the recent passing of its creator, we take a look at the iconic, fruity punch-in-the-face that is the Pornstar Martini.
No one’s entirely sure what inspired the name of Ghanaian mixology guru Douglas Ankrah’s iconic cocktail. Some say it was from catching a whiff of perfume from a stripper. Others claim it was the most decadent concoction he could dream up, one that would only be ordered by the kind of attention-seeking soul that is drawn to one side of the porn lens or the other.
What we do know is that in creating the Pornstar Martini, Ankrah, who passed away recently at the age of 51, created a drink that’s now enjoyed from Melbourne to Mumbai and remains one of the most-ordered club elixirs in the UK.
Ankrah was a powerhouse in the United Kingdom cocktail scene. His Soho-based London Acadamy of Bartending (Lab) was a nursery for some of the region’s top talents and the go-to destination for mixology innovation. He went on to create other popular nightspots, including Townhouse in Knightsbridge.
The first thing you probably need to know about the Pornstar Martini is that it resembles the silver bullet classic in name only. A heady, sweet blend of vanilla vodka, passion fruit liqueur, passion fruit puree, lime, and vanilla simple syrup, the drink, which Ankrah created at his iconic London watering hole Townhouse in the early 2000s, comes with a shot of champagne on the side. Yep.
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Now, the Pornstar Martini isn’t the kind of drink you rustle up from leftover bits and bobs in the fridge (unless you’re really big into passion fruit) so if you plan to add this to your next wet bar repertoire you’ll need to prepare a few things, including shot glasses. However, if you’re looking for a drink that’s eye-catching, drinkable, and with a great story behind it, this is it.
Here’s how you make your own homage to Ankrah and creaming hen’s parties everywhere:
Ingredients
- 45ml vanilla-flavored vodka (Absolut does a nice one)
- 15ml passion fruit liqueur
- 30ml passion fruit puree (or just scoop out directly from the fruit)
- 15 lime juice
- 15ml vanilla simple syrup
- 60ml sparkling wine, chilled
- Garnish with 1/2 passion fruit
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Method
- Add all ingredients except sparkling wine into a shaker with nice dry ice cubes and shake with all your might as you really want to break up that puree
- Strain into a chilled martini glass.
- Garnish with a passion fruit half, which just floats in the centre of the glass (you might even want to drop a little 151 into the shell and light it for a true spectacle)
- Serve with the sparkling wine in a shot glass on the side
Here’s to you Douglas.
For more Wines & Spirits inspiration click here.
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