Pornstar Martini
This drink is the only one of this month’s recipes that was invented after the turn of the twenty-first century. It was invented in 2002 by bartender Douglas Ankrah. Originally called the Maverick Martini after a gentleman’s club Ankrah frequented in Cape Town, the drink combined vanilla vodka, passion fruit liqueur and passionfruit purée, and vanilla syrup, with a little glass of prosecco on the side. Since its inception, it has remained very popular in the U.K. and beyond.
The Spritz
With roots in the nineteenth century, the Spritz was originally a combination of wine and carbonated water. By the 1920s and ‘30s, the classic Italian refresher solidified as a combination of bitter aperitivo liqueur, wine (or vermouth, see: Americano & Negroni Sbagliato), and soda. In the 1990s, prosecco became an essential ingredient in the Spritz.
Negroni Sbagliato
Sbagliato means “mistaken” or “bungled” in Italian. That’s a reference to the apocryphal tale told about why the Negroni Sbagliato features prosecco—and no gin. The resulting beverage is a delightful cross between the Americano and the Spritz.