TL;DR
Get coffee and tea gear delivered free with Prime
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
- Member-only deals all year
Papi, a bar in Portland, Maine, has a Pornstar Martini-inspired cocktail called the Mami Chula, topped with custard foam made using reduced Cava. Beverage and creative director Izzy Stein says the foam was developed first, then paired with rum, lime and several forms of passion fruit. The bar’s current milkshake-glass presentation has helped the drink become one of its best-sellers, according to Stein.
Papi, a bar in Portland, Maine, is serving the Mami Chula, a rum-based, passion-fruit cocktail topped with a custard foam made with reduced Cava. Beverage and creative director Izzy Stein developed the drink as a Pornstar Martini-inspired build, with the foam designed to add a creamy counterpoint to its tart fruit flavors.
Stein told VinePair that she began with the foam rather than the drink. She first made the Cava custard while working on a crème brûlée-inspired Pisco Sour, then built a different cocktail around it. “It was a little bit of a scavenger hunt, starting from a small concept and then just building around that,” she said.
To make the topping, Stein reduces several bottles of Cava—usually Martínez—by about 40 percent, then mixes the concentrated sparkling wine with egg yolk, cream and vanilla. The mixture is aerated in an iSi canister, a tool used in professional kitchens and bars. Stein told VinePair that reducing the wine concentrates its flavor and brings out its bitter and acidic notes.
The cocktail combines rum infused by the team with bourbon and vanilla bean paste, lime juice, passion fruit liqueur, syrup and pulp. It is shaken and served over ice in a mini milkshake glass, then finished with a spiral of foam. The presentation also includes two Papi-branded straws. Stein said the Cava topping reworks the sparkling-wine sidecar associated with a Pornstar Martini as an airy garnish.
A Foam Topping That Changes the Drink
The Mami Chula is an example of a bar using a garnish as part of a cocktail’s flavor and texture, rather than adding foam only for appearance. Stein told VinePair that the custard’s fat helps it hold its shape instead of immediately blending into the drink. Customers can stir in as much of the topping as they like, adjusting the balance between its rich, creamy custard and the cocktail’s tart, tropical fruit.
That choice gives the drink a different character as it is consumed: the foam can remain distinct or be mixed into the rum and passion fruit base. Stein described the result as “interactive” and said she wanted to create “this sort of duality and balance.” The approach also makes the preparation central to the drink’s identity: Cava is reduced and incorporated into a custard, rather than simply served alongside the cocktail.
For customers, the reported change in presentation may matter as much as the recipe. Stein said the earlier version was served in a larger, taller glass and had foam caramelized with a torch. She told VinePair the current, more modest milkshake-glass version has become more popular and that the drink is now one of Papi’s best-sellers. Those sales descriptions come from Stein; the report does not include sales figures or independent data.
Products Worth Considering
Ninja NC501 CREAMi XL Deluxe 11-in-1 Ice Cream and Frozen Treat Maker
KitchenAid 5.5-Qt Bowl-Lift Stand Mixer, Porcelain White (KSM55SXXX)
Cuisinart Tabletop Propane Patio Heater, 11,000 BTU, Gray
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
From Crème Brûlée to Pornstar Martini
The Mami Chula draws on the familiar flavor pairing of passion fruit and vanilla associated with a Pornstar Martini, while changing both the base spirit and the way the sparkling wine element is served. The original cocktail is typically made with vanilla-flavored vodka and simple syrup; Stein’s version uses rum infused with bourbon and vanilla bean paste, alongside passion fruit liqueur, syrup and pulp.
The drink’s development also reflects a broader bar and beverage trend described in VinePair’s report: foams are appearing across drinks, from coffee to cocktails. Stein’s version takes that format toward dessert flavors, pairing a custard made with egg yolk, cream and vanilla with the acidity of Cava and passion fruit. VinePair reports that Stein prefers Cava for its brightness and says it complements the cocktail’s tropical fruit. The source material does not provide a launch date or a fixed period for the drink’s availability.
“It was a little bit of a scavenger hunt, starting from a small concept and then just building around that.”
— Izzy Stein, beverage and creative director at Papi, speaking to VinePair
Availability and Sales Data Unreported
The supplied report does not state when the Mami Chula was added to Papi’s menu, how long it will remain available, or its price. It also gives no recipe measurements beyond the approximate 40 percent Cava reduction, so the drink’s exact proportions cannot be established from this account.
Stein’s description of the cocktail as one of the bar’s best-sellers and her assessment that the new presentation has made it more popular are attributed claims. The report includes no sales totals, comparison period or baseline to quantify that change. It also does not specify the alcohol content of the finished drink.
The next practical step for anyone hoping to order the Mami Chula is to check with Papi for its current menu and availability. The source report does not give a scheduled menu update, a future launch or an announced end date. Unless the bar provides further details, the cocktail’s price, serving period and precise recipe remain unreported.
Key Questions
What is the Mami Chula?
It is a cocktail served at Papi in Portland, Maine. The rum-based drink combines lime and several passion fruit ingredients and is topped with Cava custard foam.
What is in the Cava custard foam?
According to the report, it is made with Cava reduced by roughly 40 percent, then combined with egg yolk, cream and vanilla. Stein aerates the mixture in an iSi canister. The supplied material does not give exact ingredient quantities.
How is the cocktail related to a Pornstar Martini?
Stein’s drink draws on the Pornstar Martini’s vanilla-and-passion-fruit profile and its association with sparkling wine. The Mami Chula uses a rum base infused with bourbon and vanilla bean paste, and turns the sparkling-wine element into foam.
Is the Mami Chula currently available, and what does it cost?
The report describes the cocktail as being served at Papi, but it does not give a publication date, price or availability period. Check with the bar for current menu details.
Does the foam contain common allergens?
The reported foam includes egg yolk and cream, so it contains egg and dairy. The source does not provide a complete allergen statement or information about cross-contact; customers with allergies should ask Papi directly.
Source: vinepair.com
