Passion fruit liqueur

Passion fruit liqueur is a spirit drink that falls under the liqueur category according to Regulation (EU) 2019/787. Two hard minimums apply: at least 15 percent alcohol and at least 100 grams of sweetening products per litre, expressed as invert sugar. The flavour comes from passion fruit, as juice, aroma or both.

The regulation also has the category crème de, followed by a fruit name. That requires at least 250 grams of sugar per litre. A cream liqueur is something else: the law allows a drink to bear a compound name with the word liqueur or cream, as long as it meets the requirements for liqueur. A passion fruit cream is therefore legally simply a liqueur.

The passion fruit, Passiflora edulis, occurs naturally in South America. According to the plant database of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, the original range runs from Brazil to the northeast of Argentina, including Paraguay.

Botanically it is a liana: a climbing plant that grows mainly in the wet tropical climate. The plant belongs to the passion flower family, the Passifloraceae. Nowadays the fruit is also grown far outside South America. For liqueur, juice or concentrated juice is usually used; for Passoã, according to the ingredients list, it is passion fruit juice from Brazil.

Passoã is a passion fruit liqueur that came onto the market in 1986. The brand is owned by Lucas Bols and celebrated its fortieth anniversary in 2026 with a new bottle design.

The ingredients list includes water, alcohol, sugar and reconstituted passion fruit juice from Brazil, among others. The alcohol percentage differs per market; the producer itself speaks of a liqueur with a low alcohol content. The producer also suggests mixing Passoã with tonic, as a light long drink. Anyone who wants to know which percentage is on a particular bottle should look at the label.

The best-known cocktail with passion fruit liqueur is the Pornstar Martini. According to Difford's Guide, bartender Douglas Ankrah created the drink in 2002 at The Townhouse in Knightsbridge, London. It was first called the Maverick Martini, after a nightclub in Cape Town.

The Difford's Guide recipe calls for vanilla vodka, passion fruit liqueur, vanilla syrup, fresh lime juice and fresh passion fruit. Alongside comes a small glass of sparkling wine, served separately. Passoã calls itself the original choice for this cocktail.

In addition, passion fruit liqueur is mixed with tonic or sparkling water. Anyone who does not want to make a cocktail can choose a ready-made spritz or a cocktail pack.

From Passoã there is the classic liqueur and a cocktail pack for the Pornstar Martini. Alongside these are Ghino's Passionfruit Likeur, Excellent Cocktail Passie and Sourz Passion Fruit.

For those looking for a cream liqueur, there is Berentzen Passionfruit Cream from Germany. From Jongens van Oud West, a small liqueur maker from Oosterhout, there are a passion fruit liqueur and the Passie Spritz, a ready-to-drink spritz. Most bottles come from the Netherlands, the rest from France, Germany and England.

If you are torn between a clear liqueur, a cream liqueur or a cocktail pack, call the shop or drop by at Brink 2 in Bathmen.

The shop is at Brink 2 in Bathmen. Open Tuesday to Friday from 09.00 to 18.00 and Saturday from 09.00 to 17.00. For advice, call 0570 541 278 or email info@bockje.nl.