Liqueurs

Passion Fruit Liqueur

Passion fruit liqueur pairs spirit and sugar with the fruit's scent; Passoã, launched in 1986 and bottled at 17% ABV outside the United States, is the one our recipe names. It gives sweetness and scent rather than the fruit's sharpness. Our Pornstar Martini uses 20ml beside 50ml of purée, which supplies the acid the liqueur lacks.

Quick Facts

ABV17% ABVBottlings run about 17 to 21%.

Legal categoryLiqueur

OriginFrance (Passoã, launched 1986)

Flavour Strengthmedium bold

Our keeping timeBrightest within a year of opening, kept sealed and cool.

Storage

Sealed and cool: sugar preserves it well, though the bright tropical aroma is best inside a year of opening.

Allergens

None of the 14 listed allergens. Recipes vary by brand: check the bottle.

The ingredient

About Passion Fruit Liqueur

Flavour Profile

Primary Flavours

Passion FruitTropical SweetnessFloral

Tasting Notes

Ripe passion fruit turned sweet and round, the raw tartness softened: tropical scent up front, sugar behind, and the acid left for fresh fruit to supply.

Sweetness and scent in a bottle

Passion fruit liqueur starts from spirit, flavoured with passion fruit and sweetened beyond the liqueur minimums in law (15% ABV, 100g/L sugar). Passoã is the bottle our recipe names: invented in 1985, launched in Europe in 1986 and made in France, at 17% outside the United States. Difford's Guide lists its passion fruit content as reconstituted Brazilian juice at 2%.

The liqueur sweetens while the fruit sharpens

The liqueur gives sugar and perfume but almost none of the acid that makes the fresh fruit taste of itself. Recipes that use it pair it with something sharp, such as fresh pulp, purée or lime, and cut other syrup to make room.

What each passion fruit element does in a Pornstar Martini

Vanilla vodka

Measure: 50ml
Brings: Strength and vanilla
Without it: A soft, low-strength drink

Passion fruit liqueur

Measure: 20ml
Brings: Sugar and passion fruit scent
Without it: Sharper and less perfumed

Passion fruit purée

Measure: 50ml
Brings: Fruit, acid and body
Without it: Sweet and thin

Vanilla syrup

Measure: 10ml
Brings: Sugar and vanilla
Without it: Tart

Half a fresh passion fruit

Measure: Garnish
Brings: Scent at the rim
Without it: No scent before the first sip

Element	Measure	Brings	Without it
Vanilla vodka	50ml	Strength and vanilla	A soft, low-strength drink
Passion fruit liqueur	20ml	Sugar and passion fruit scent	Sharper and less perfumed
Passion fruit purée	50ml	Fruit, acid and body	Sweet and thin
Vanilla syrup	10ml	Sugar and vanilla	Tart
Half a fresh passion fruit	Garnish	Scent at the rim	No scent before the first sip

Sharpness comes from purée and fresh fruit in that drink; the syrup is the alcohol-free sweetener if you would rather leave the liqueur out.

Twenty millilitres in the Pornstar Martini

Our Pornstar Martini gives its 20ml of liqueur a hard shake with vanilla vodka, purée and vanilla syrup, double strains the drink into a cold martini glass and floats half a passion fruit on top; a shot of Champagne comes on the side.

What fades after opening is the scent

Sugar and alcohol keep it sound for years. Opening it starts the slow loss of the passion fruit aroma, the very thing you bought it for, so keep it capped, upright and away from light and warmth, and finish it within about a year.

Using it

Using Passion Fruit Liqueur

Usage

Our Pornstar Martini shakes 20ml with vanilla vodka, purée and vanilla syrup. The liqueur gives sugar and perfume; the purée gives fruit and acid. Elsewhere, 15 to 20ml sweetens a rum or vodka sour in place of some syrup.

Pro Tip

If the Pornstar Martini tastes heavy, cut the liqueur before the vanilla syrup. Dropping it from 20ml to 15ml keeps the passion fruit scent and gives a drier finish, while the purée still carries the fruit.

Top Tips

Think of it as scented sugar. It replaces syrup, not lime.
Pair it with fresh pulp or purée for the sharp edge the bottle leaves out.
Store it upright and capped in a cupboard; the aroma is at its liveliest for a year or so after opening.
Check the strength: Passoã is 17% in Britain and 20% in the United States.

Possible Substitutions

Passion Fruit Syrup: With a neutral spirit: sweeter, thinner aroma

Production Method

Sweetened spirit flavoured with passion fruit. Passoã lists reconstituted Brazilian passion fruit juice at 2%, with sugar, flavourings, acidity regulators and colours.

History & Context

Passoã was invented in 1985, launched in Europe in 1986 and worldwide in 1994. It began as a Rémy Cointreau brand; since 2016 it has been run by Passoã SAS, a joint venture of Lucas Bols and Rémy Cointreau.

Go further

More to explore

Common Questions

What is passion fruit liqueur?

A liqueur flavoured with passion fruit: spirit, sugar and fruit flavour, at no less than 15% ABV, as every liqueur must be. Passoã, at 17% in Britain, is the bottle our Pornstar Martini recipe names. Expect sweetness and perfume, with far less bite than the fruit itself.

What passion fruit liqueur is used in a Pornstar Martini?

Our recipe names Passoã, at 17% ABV, poured at 20ml. Any passion fruit liqueur of similar strength works; check how sweet it is, because a sweeter bottle needs the 10ml of vanilla syrup cut back to keep the drink from tipping into dessert.

How much passion fruit is in Passoã?

Not much by volume. The ingredients Difford's Guide lists for Passoã begin with water, alcohol and sugar, then reconstituted passion fruit juice from Brazil at 2%, followed by flavourings, acidity regulators and the colours that make it pink-red. That is why recipes pair it with fresh pulp or purée.

Is passion fruit liqueur the same as passion fruit syrup?

No: the liqueur contains alcohol, 17% in Passoã, and the syrup has none. Both sweeten. Our house syrup is purée and sugar in equal weights and lasts a week chilled; the liqueur stays sound long after opening. Trade one for the other and adjust the spirit.

How strong is passion fruit liqueur?

Passoã is 17% ABV in Britain and 20% in the United States, and other passion fruit liqueurs run roughly 17 to 21%. The 20ml in our Pornstar Martini adds roughly 0.3 units, far less than the 50ml of vanilla vodka beside it.

How long does passion fruit liqueur last once opened?

It stays safe for years, kept capped and cool, but its tropical aroma is liveliest in the first year after opening and fades slowly after that. An old bottle still sweetens a drink; it just smells of less. Store it standing, away from light.

What can I use instead of passion fruit liqueur?

Passion fruit syrup with a little extra vodka is the nearest home swap: in a Pornstar Martini, 15ml of syrup and 5ml more vodka replace the 20ml of liqueur. Without either, a little more purée and vanilla syrup gives a sharper drink that still tastes of passion fruit.

Make something

Made with Passion Fruit Liqueur

Featured In These Cocktails

Pornstar Martini

Often Used With

Guide by Jerry Can Spirits · Updated 10 October 2026

Back to Ingredients Guide