Why Is It Actually Called a ‘Pornstar Martini’ Though?

We all know them, we all love to drink them – the humble pornstar martini has long been a fav here at STELLAR HQ, and around the country, really.

The drink has once again been one of Google’s most searched items for 2025 in their Year in Review.

And with good reason.

The pornstar martini is fruity, it’s fun, and it’s got a little shot of prosecco on the side, which is a nice little gimmick in fairness.

There’s been lots of discourse on the internet as to what the ‘proper’ way to drink a pornstar martini is. In fact, that’s one of our most viewed articles of all time.

But that’s not what we’re here to talk about. We’re here to talk about the pornstar martini’s origins, and why it’s called, well… that. 

@jamienyq People always ask is there a right way to drink a p-star martini and yes, it’s a RITUAL and the prosecco is a palate cleanser, if you’re wondering #pstarmartini #cocktail #nightlife ♬ som original – TINA

Created by world famous mixologist Douglas Ankrah, the cocktail was invented in 1999 when Ankrah was on a trip to South Africa and considered what would happen if he created a drink using the most popular ingredients of the time – vodka, prosecco and passionfruit.

The result was, obviously, delicious and the pornstar martini was born.

According to Ankrah, he named the drink as such because he thought it was something a pornstar would drink. Fair.

Once he returned to London, he started to really refine his creation. At first, he called it a ‘maverick martini’ but decided that this didn’t fully articulate what he wanted the drink to be.

Bold. Sexy. Playful – they were his goals for the drink, and he sure achieved them.

@ed_tales #passionfruitmartini #vodkacocktail ♬ original sound – Ed

Over the years, the pornstar martini has become a staple of any classic cocktail menu. Depending on where you are though, you might find the drink going by a different name.

In 2019, M&S was forced to rename its cocktail as the ‘passion fruit martini’ following complaints. Apparently, a lot of people in the UK remain prudish over drinks related to sex, it seems.