Douglas Ankrah Inventor of the Pornstar Martini has passed away
Douglas Ankrah - Image source
Breaking drink’s news. The legendary inventor of the UK’s most popular cocktail (the Pornstar Martini) Douglas Ankrah, has sadly passed away.
The news came to us on August the 16th 2021 throughout the drinks community. News on his death and what exactly has happened is yet to be available. All we know so far is that this was sudden shock to everyone and our hearts go out to Ankrah’s family and friends.
Douglas was a shining personality who has influenced many of the worlds best bartenders, especially here in the UK. This news has saddened everyone who had the pleasure of meeting Douglas and those who strove to meet the legend himself.
Douglas Ankrah - More than just a martini
Douglas Ankrah and his Pornstar Martini - image source
Douglas is most famed for his invention of the Pornstar martini. A modern classic which almost everyone in the UK has tasted or at the very least knows about.
However, Douglas was more than just a martini.
Douglas Ankrah is one of the world’s most respected drinks and bar consultants. He first began to make a name for himself in London back in 1996 when he set up the London Academy of Bartending at the Atlantic Bar which trained a generation of bartenders in the art of mixology AKA “LAB”.
The success of LAB allowed Douglas to turn the academy into a bar which is when Lab opened in Soho 1999. Soon after LAB began to snap up awards which led to Douglas opening a second bar in Knightsbridge named Townhouse. Although he had invented the Pornstar martini before opening Townhouse, Townhouse was where the drink started to make a name for itself.
Douglas has also written an internationally acclaimed cocktail book- ‘Shaken & Stirred’ which sold over 100,000 copies and was Amazon’s best selling cocktail book in the UK.
In 2017, in response to the incredible demand for his renowned cocktail, the Pornstar Martini, Douglas successfully launched a ready-to-serve version called Pornstar Cocktail in the UK and was working on building the brand in its home market and beyond.
If there's one thing Douglas was extremely passionate about it was creating steady income streams for bartenders. Quoted saying that “Bartenders often die poor. I’d love to see more ambitious bartenders, not just to create cocktails but take it to the market”
Theodora Sutcliffe interviewed Douglas in 2018 for Diffordsguide, during which Douglas said “The guy who invented the caesar salad never sar any money; the guy who created the Espresso Martini never saw any money. Why should this continue? So we fill up drinks companies' pockets with money all our lives? No,"
The sad truth is that Douglas has died at a time when he was building on the mark he had already left. With plans to monetize his creativity and earn a piece of the pie he created.
If Douglas made just 0.0001% royalties on every Pornstar Martini sold, he would be a very wealthy man. Instead, it's the bars unrelated to him that are profiting, passion fruit liqueur companies and vodka brands. I dread to think how much money Passoa alone has made of Douglas without him seeing a penny.
Meeting the man himself
I’m one of the lucky people who have had the pleasure and privilege of meeting Douglas Ankrah. Way back in the day, before Smartblend, before the mindful mixologist and back when I was but a humble bar manager.
He was hosting a tasting for a few of us Manchester bartenders up in a local champagne bar. I got the pleasure of seeing him behind the bar and got to personally grill him with 21 questions about creative bartending, the pornstar martini, creating a modern classic and creating with confidence. He was a lovely guy through and through. Humble, down to earth and in his element giving advice.
The Pornstar Martini
Pornstar martini - image source
We can’t possibly mention Douglas without talking about his most recognised piece of work. The creation of the Pornstar Martini. Whether you love it or hate it, everyone knows about it. Douglas first created the Pornstar back in the days of LAB. Once he opened Townhouse and put it on the menu, it quickly started making its way around London. Fastly becoming London's favourite cocktail.
That passion for the Pornstar spread and before we knew it, the Pornstar martini or some variation of it was in almost every bar across the entire UK before setting its sights on world domination.
I myself have made plenty of riffs on this exact cocktail. The Softcore spritz.
Final notes
Douglas Ankrah may have passed. But he lives on in his work. In every Pornstar martini served up and down the country. The future of the Pornstar martini is still bright and it sure isn't going anywhere anytime soon.
It’s embedded within British cocktail culture, and as that culture evolves, the Porntsar martini will be along for the ride. New techniques and trends change almost monthly within the cocktail community. The classics we know and love never stay stagnant for long, they evolve with the culture. Take the Old fashioned. Every new bartender trend sees a new Old Fashioned riff. That's something I believe will continue with the Pornstar Martini.
My heart goes out to his family and friends. Whether you love or hate the Pornstar martini. Douglas lives on throughout it. So put your attitude to one side, whip up a Pornstar and lets raise a glass to the legend himself.
Below is the original recipe for the Pornstar martini that can be easily recreated at home.
Original Porn star Martini Recipe
Ingredients
50ml Vanilla Vodka
12.5ml Passion Fruit liqueur
25ml Passion Fruit puree
1tsp Vanilla sugar
Method
Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously
Strain into a martini glass and garnish with half a passionfruit
Serve with a shot of bubbles and do whatever you like with it.