Passion Fruit Liqueur
Passion fruit liqueur pairs spirit and sugar with the fruit's scent; Passoã, launched in 1986 by Difford’s Guide’s account, is the one our recipe names: it is 17% ABV by its maker’s site and on Sainsbury’s UK listing, and 20% in the United States by Difford’s Guide’s account. 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
Sealed and cool: sugar preserves it well, though the bright tropical aroma is best inside a year of opening.
None of the 14 listed allergens. Recipes vary by brand: check the bottle.
About Passion Fruit Liqueur
Flavour Profile
Primary Flavours
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: launched in 1986, a liqueur made with real passion fruit by its maker’s own site, at 17% ABV on its maker’s German page, the figure Sainsbury’s UK listing also gives, and 20% in the United States by Difford’s Guide’s account. 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. In our experience 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 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; in our experience the aroma is at its liveliest for a year or so after opening.
- Check the strength: LWC’s UK listing gives the UK bottle 14.9%, and Difford’s Guide gives 17% in other markets 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. Difford’s Guide lists Passoã’s ingredients as reconstituted Brazilian passion fruit juice at 2%, with sugar, flavourings, acidity regulators and colours.
History & Context
Difford’s Guide says Passoã was launched in 1986 at 20% ABV, and that outside the USA it has been 17% since 2005. Lucas Bols’s release of 2 December 2016 announced that it had closed a joint venture with Rémy Cointreau, based in France, to operate the brand worldwide, and Rémy Cointreau’s release of December 2020 announced that it had sold its shares in the Passoã SAS joint venture to Lucas Bols for 71.3 million euros. Difford’s lists Lucas Bols as the owner.
More to explore
Common Questions
What is passion fruit liqueur?
What passion fruit liqueur is used in a Pornstar Martini?
How much passion fruit is in Passoã?
Is passion fruit liqueur the same as passion fruit syrup?
How strong is passion fruit liqueur?
How long does passion fruit liqueur last once opened?
What can I use instead of passion fruit liqueur?
Sources.
Checked between 16 October and 19 October 2026.
- legislation.gov.uk, “Regulation (EC) No 110/2008, Annex II (retained)”.
- Lucas Bols N.V., “Lucas Bols and Rémy Cointreau establish Passoã joint venture (2 December 2016)” (primary: the joint venture, based in France, closed to operate and develop the global activities of Passoã).
- Difford’s Guide, “Passoã ‘The Passion Drink’ Liqueur” (secondary source (17%, 20% in the USA; ingredients)).
- Passoã SAS, “Passoã, the #1 passionfruit liqueur in the world (UK product page)” (the maker’s UK page: a liqueur made with real passion fruit, no artificial flavours; it gives no strength figure).
- Passoã SAS, “Passoã (German product page)” (the maker’s own figure: “Alkoholgehalt von 17%vol.”).
- Sainsbury’s, “Passoa Passion Fruit Liqueur 70cl” (UK retail listing: alcohol by volume 17.0%).
- Rémy Cointreau (via Nasdaq and Business Wire), “Rémy Cointreau Sells Its Shares in the Passoã SAS Joint Venture to the Lucas Bols Group (December 2020)” (primary: the joint venture formed in December 2016; Rémy Cointreau sold its shares to Lucas Bols Amsterdam B.V. for 71.3 million euros).
Made with Passion Fruit Liqueur
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Guide by Jerry Can Spirits · Updated 19 October 2026