Why a decades-old flavour still dominates cocktail menus
Passion fruit has survived years of innovative cocktail trends — and remains one of the most reliable flavours behind the bar. So what keeps it on menus year after year? CMO at Lucas Bols Laura De Groot-Trivulzio shares her insights.
A flavour that keeps delivering
Passion fruit has remained a constant behind the bar, even as cocktail culture has shifted dramatically over the past four decades.
According to Laura De Groot-Trivulzio, CMO and global director brands and business development at The Lucas Bols Company, its staying power comes down to a rare combination of qualities.
“Research shows us that almost 50% of consumers drink fruity cocktails* and few flavours illustrate this better than passion fruit, as it is amongst the top three fruits for sweet serves*,” she says.
“While countless ingredients have peaked and fallen, passion fruit has quietly remained one of the most reliable performers on cocktail menus around the world. It’s flavourful, versatile, visually appealing and commercially reliable, a combination not often found.”
For bartenders, its technical advantages are just as important.
“Its intense sweet-tart flavour means that you don’t need a huge amount of it to make a drink taste exceptional and its deep tropical sweetness means it works across a variety of formats and seasons,” she explains.
“In the cocktail industry, there are very few ingredients that deliver such versatility which is why it continues to underpin some of the most commercially successful cocktails in the world.”
From classics such as the Pornstar Martini to spritzes and frozen serves, she adds that its longevity is not about trend cycles. “Longevity in this sense isn’t about staying ‘trendy’ it’s about staying foundational.”
Shifting habits, familiar flavours
Over the past 40 years, drinking occasions have evolved from late-night, high-volume consumption to more considered, experience-led moments that start earlier in the day.
“Throughout this shift, bartenders have consistently prioritised products that offer flexibility across multiple serves,” says De Groot-Trivulzio.
“As drinking occasions move earlier, consumer behaviour changes. In early-evening settings, guests are less inclined to experiment blindly, but instead gravitate toward flavours they understand and cocktails they recognise, they won’t be reaching for the hard ABV drinks.”
This shift has strengthened the role of recognisable flavours such as passion fruit, which offer “immediate point of recognition” while still allowing variation.
She points to the continued success of the Pornstar Martini as evidence of this balance.
“25 years after it was first created, the Pornstar Martini is now a modern classic. It is now the number 1 search on Difford’s Guide with 4 million page views per annum*.”
“Globally, one in every two passion fruit liqueurs sold is Passoã, the original passion fruit liqueur for the Pornstar Martini, when it was originally created by Douglas Ankrah.”
At the same time, the rise of no and low alcohol and lighter serves has created new opportunities.
“With an ABV below 20%, Passoã naturally fits lighter, early-evening drinking moments, delivering flavour, colour and refreshment without the heaviness of higher-proof spirits,” she says.
The rise of the spritz
The spritz category has also reshaped cocktail menus, evolving from a simple aperitivo into a flexible format for flavour exploration.
“What began as a simple aperitivo, most famously the Aperol Spritz, has now become one of the most adaptable drinks,” she says.
“Passion fruit liqueur fits perfectly into this as it offers drinkers a sweet and fruity upgrade to a regular spritz.”
Partner Content
The Passoã Spritz follows a simple 3-2-1 formula — three parts sparkling wine, two parts Passoã and one part soda water — but can also be adapted with herbs, syrups and complementary liqueurs.
This adaptability allows bartenders to “effortlessly evolve with modern tastes and seasonal occasions”.
Built on repeat orders
Despite the industry’s constant search for novelty, De Groot-Trivulzio says long-term success is driven by commercial fundamentals.
“For bartenders and operators, they are looking for ingredients and fixtures that will translate directly into commercial value,” she explains.
“Drinks that are easy to explain, easy to execute and more often than not will lead to easy repeat orders — as we hear so often ‘just one more then’.”
“This is where longevity is built, one repeat order after another.”
Premiumisation and familiarity
Changing consumer preferences — including moderation, premiumisation and flavour exploration — are also shaping ingredient choices.
“Over the last decade, bartenders have had to adapt their ingredient choice and menu to meet the consumer demands for modern, premium and flavourful cocktails,” she says.
However, she notes that premiumisation does not necessarily mean complexity.
“Premiumisation is less about obscure ingredients and more about executing familiar flavours exceptionally well.”
Rather than moving away from classics, bars are refining them.
“Rather than abandoning well-known drinks, bars are taking a proven flavour profile and delivering it with greater craft.”
Earning a place behind the bar
Looking ahead, De Groot-Trivulzio believes brands must continuously prove their relevance.
“With the drinks industry constantly evolving, even after 40 years no brand is still ever guaranteed their place on the shelf and becoming complacent can lead to a brands downfall,” she says.
“Brands need to prove their relevance and not just by following fad trends but by evolving whilst remaining a constant.”
For Passoã, this includes a focus on natural ingredients and versatility.
“Passoã works to meet this demand by making its liqueur with natural passion fruit and no artificial flavours, ensuring it is a high versatility liqueur for easy to mix sophisticated creations to modern classics.”
Ultimately, she argues, longevity must be earned.
“At Passoã, we believe that after 40 years in the industry, the real measure of success isn’t how long the brand has existed but whether after 40 years it still deserves its place behind the bar and in the modern cocktail culture.”
“That place is earned through consistency, adaptability and an ability to sit at the very centre of demand — no matter the time of day a drink is consumed.”
Related news
Brown-Forman warns of flat year despite sales beat
