The Passion Fruit Martini recipe
for your table
Spoon the pulp of half a passion fruit into the shaker and measure out the vodka, the liqueur, lime juice and sugar syrup with the jigger.
Fill the shaker with ice and shake firmly for fifteen seconds, until the outside frosts over.
Double strain into a chilled coupe, so no ice chips or seeds make it in.
Let the other half of the passion fruit float on the cocktail and serve immediately.
What did you think of this recipe?
One click on a star is enough. If you’d like to add something, we’ll read it first before it appears here.
Save this recipe
Send the Passion Fruit cocktails recipe to your own email, so you have it at hand when you’re ready to make it. You’ll also receive a €5 discount code when you spend €50 or more on the matching glasses.
The story
Passion fruit arrived late in the cocktail world. Tiki bars were already using passion fruit syrup in drinks such as the Hurricane in the 1950s, but the fresh fruit remained a rarity outside the tropics for a long time. That changed when imports became possible year-round and a French passion fruit liqueur called Passoã was introduced in the 1980s. Since then, the flavor has appeared everywhere, from the Pornstar Martini to alcohol-free spritzes. The combination of tartness, sweetness, and a strong aroma explains why a passion fruit cocktail can almost always be brought into balance.
The right glass
For a passion fruit Martini, choose a coupe or martini glass of 20 to 26 cl. The glass is wide enough to let half a passion fruit float, while the stem keeps your hand away from the drink so it stays cold. If you are serving a longer passion fruit cocktail with ice and bubbles, a highball glass or tumbler makes more sense. A small shot glass comes in handy if you serve prosecco alongside it, as with the Pornstar Martini. For a cleaner, classic look, take a look at our martini glasses.
RCR Opera Champagne Glass / Coupe 24 cl (6 pieces)
RCR Timeless Shot Glass 8 cl (6 pieces)
Both sets together € 69,90.
The right tools
For a passion fruit cocktail, in addition to the glass, you use a shaker, a jigger for precise measuring, and a citrus press. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glass set (our choice 01) + 3 bar tools together € 84,80.
Variations & twists
Swap the vodka for white rum and you’ll get close to the tropical side of the Hurricane; with gin, the whole drink becomes drier and more herbal. Replace the sugar syrup with vanilla syrup and place a shot of prosecco alongside it, and you’ve essentially made a Pornstar Martini. A splash of pineapple juice gives it a softer, fuller flavor, while a few slices of chili pepper in the shaker add a sharp edge.
Serving tip
Always double-strain when you muddle the pulp, because the seeds are edible but feel messy in a coupe. If you want to see them, let half a passion fruit float on the drink. Put the glass in the freezer for ten minutes beforehand, so the cocktail stays cold longer.
Good to know
More passion fruit cocktails
Alongside the martini, there are a few established names. The Pornstar Martini adds vanilla and comes with a shot of prosecco on the side. The Hurricane combines dark and white rum with passion fruit and orange juice and originates from New Orleans. In the Passoã cocktail, you mix the liqueur with orange juice or bubbles, creating a light aperitif. Sex on the Beach leans on peach, but passion fruit juice makes it much fuller. And you make a passion fruit mojito by muddling the pulp with the mint and lime.
Fresh passion fruit or juice?
Fresh passion fruit provides the most aroma, but also seeds and fibers. You can recognize a ripe fruit by its wrinkled skin; a smooth fruit is not ready yet and tastes flat. Allow for about 2 cl of pulp per fruit. Passion fruit juice or purée from a bottle is practical for larger quantities and has a more consistent flavor, but it is often sweetened, so reduce the sugar syrup accordingly. If you want a clear passion fruit cocktail, strain the pulp through a fine sieve; you can find one in our cocktail strainers.
Passoã and other passion fruit liqueurs
Anyone searching for a passion fruit drink will almost always come across Passoã: the orange French liqueur with around 17 percent alcohol that is found in many Dutch liquor cabinets. It is sweet and fairly mild, so you can use a generous amount without making a cocktail immediately strong. Alternatives include passion fruit liqueurs from other brands and homemade syrup made from pulp, sugar and water. Always combine liqueur with fresh lime juice; otherwise the whole thing remains cloyingly sweet and the acidity that makes passion fruit interesting disappears.
Alcohol-free with passion fruit
Passion fruit holds its own perfectly well without alcohol because its aroma is so pronounced. Shake the pulp of half a passion fruit with 6 cl orange juice, 1.5 cl lime juice and 1 cl sugar syrup, then double-strain into a chilled coupe. For a longer drink, top up with sparkling water or alcohol-free sparkling wine. Half a teaspoon of vanilla extract adds the same rounded note you would otherwise get from liqueur. Serve with half a fruit on top, so the glass looks the same as the vodka version.
Make-ahead passion fruit cocktails
For a group, these recipes are easy to batch. Mix the vodka, liqueur, lime juice and syrup in the right proportions in a bottle and chill for at least two hours; allow for about 9 cl of mix per person. Add the pulp only when shaking, otherwise it will sink to the bottom of the bottle. Shake two or three glasses at a time with ice so the dilution is right. Place a bowl of halved passion fruits next to the pitcher so everyone can finish their own glass.
What does it pair well with?
The flavor is distinctly sweet and sour, so these cocktails are best enjoyed before a meal or with something savory and salty. With a sweet dessert, it quickly becomes too much of the same. In summer, a long passion fruit cocktail with ice and bubbles is more enjoyable than a short, strong martini, and you naturally drink it more slowly. Looking for something in the same family but with different fruit? Try the French Martini with pineapple and raspberry liqueur.
Frequently asked questions
Which drink goes well with passion fruit?
Vodka is the most neutral choice and lets the fruit take center stage. White rum also works well and steers the flavor toward tiki, gin gives a drier, spicier passion fruit cocktail, and prosecco makes it a light aperitif. Always combine passion fruit liqueur such as Passoã with fresh lime juice, otherwise the whole thing becomes too sweet.
What is in a Passion Fruit Martini?
Four centilitres of vodka, 2 cl passion fruit liqueur, the pulp of half a passion fruit, 1.5 cl fresh lime juice and 1 cl sugar syrup. Add everything with ice to the shaker, shake vigorously for fifteen seconds, then double-strain into a chilled coupe. Let the other half of the passion fruit float on the cocktail.
How many passion fruits do you need?
Count on one ripe passion fruit per glass: half goes into the shaker, and you use the other half as a garnish. One fruit yields approximately 2 cl of pulp. If you are making a larger quantity, passion fruit purée is more practical; use 2 cl of purée per glass and reduce the sugar syrup, as purée is usually already sweetened.
Which glass do you use for passion fruit cocktails?
For short, shaken versions, use a coupe or martini glass of 20 to 26 cl, wide enough for half a fruit to float. Pour long versions with bubbles or ice into a highball glass or tumbler. View our cocktail glasses for both types.
Also delicious
Everything for your bar,
to one address
Hospitality-quality glasses, supplied as a set. Order today, delivered quickly.
Shop the glasses →