TL;DR
Get kitchen 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, is serving the Mami Chula, a rum-and-passion-fruit cocktail inspired by the Pornstar Martini and topped with Cava custard foam. Beverage director Izzy Stein says the foam balances the drink’s tart fruit with a rich, creamy texture, and a shift to a smaller milkshake glass helped make the cocktail more popular.
Papi, a bar in Portland, Maine, is serving the Mami Chula, a rum-based, passion-fruit cocktail inspired by the Pornstar Martini and topped with Cava custard foam. Beverage and creative director Izzy Stein developed the foam first, then built the drink around its creamy texture and the Spanish sparkling wine’s acidity, according to a report by VinePair.
The Mami Chula combines rum infused with bourbon and vanilla bean paste with lime juice and passion fruit liqueur, syrup and pulp. The drink is shaken and served over ice in a mini-milkshake glass. Its orange-colored liquid is finished with a tall swirl of foam flecked with passion fruit seeds and vanilla bean, VinePair reported.
To make the topping, Stein reduces bottles of Cava—usually Martínez—by about 40 percent, then mixes the concentrated sparkling wine with egg yolk, cream and vanilla. The mixture goes into an iSi canister, which aerates it into a soft, peaked foam. Stein said reducing the Cava concentrates its flavor and makes its acidic and bitter notes more pronounced.
The cocktail draws on the Pornstar Martini’s familiar combination of vanilla and passion fruit, as well as its association with sparkling wine. Rather than serving Cava as a separate sidecar, Stein’s version incorporates it into the topping. The source does not give a price, the full recipe measurements, or details about how long the cocktail will remain on Papi’s menu.
A Foam Built Into the Cocktail
The Mami Chula shows how a bar can use a garnish as part of a drink’s flavor and structure, rather than treating it only as decoration. Stein told VinePair that the fat-rich custard foam holds its shape instead of immediately blending into the cocktail, letting customers choose how much to stir in. That creates a changing balance between the topping’s creaminess and the drink’s tart, tropical fruit.
The recipe also reworks a recognizable cocktail format without abandoning its key cues. Rum infused with vanilla stands in for the vodka often used in a Pornstar Martini, while passion fruit remains central. The Cava connection shifts from a side serving to a topping, giving the drink a different presentation and way to combine its components. These details may interest drinkers curious about new cocktail techniques, though the report offers no sales figures or customer survey data.
Products Worth Considering
KitchenAid Artisan 5-Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer, Almond Cream
Ninja NC501 CREAMi XL Deluxe 11-in-1 Ice Cream and Frozen Treat Maker
Ninja CREAMi 7-in-1 Ice Cream Maker, NC301
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
From Crème Brûlée to Milkshake Glass
Stein began with the idea of making a Cava custard for a crème-brûlée-inspired Pisco Sour, then settled on a Pornstar Martini-style drink as a better match. She described the development to VinePair as “a little bit of a scavenger hunt,” beginning with one component and building the cocktail around it.
The drink’s presentation also changed. An earlier version was served in a taller glass, and Stein used a torch to caramelize the foam’s outer edge. She told VinePair that version risked being too over-the-top. Papi later switched to a milkshake glass and two branded straws. Stein said the cocktail became more popular after the change, although the report does not supply sales data or a comparison period.
““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
The report does not state when the Mami Chula debuted, how much it costs, or whether it is a permanent menu item. It also does not provide a complete recipe with quantities, so readers cannot reproduce the drink precisely from the details given.
Stein said the revised presentation made the cocktail more popular, but the report includes no sales totals, time frame or baseline for that change. The claim is her account of the drink’s performance, not a quantified comparison. The source also does not describe whether the drink can be adapted for people avoiding dairy or eggs, ingredients in the custard foam.
Availability at Papi
The next practical step for interested customers is to check with Papi in Portland about current menu availability and price; neither detail is included in the report. The source does not announce a scheduled menu change, a broader rollout or a future version of the cocktail. Any changes to the Mami Chula’s recipe or presentation remain unreported.
Key Questions
What is the Mami Chula?
It is a rum and passion-fruit cocktail at Papi in Portland, Maine, inspired by the Pornstar Martini and topped with Cava custard foam.
What is in the Cava custard foam?
According to VinePair, Stein combines reduced Cava with egg yolk, cream and vanilla, then aerates the mixture in an iSi canister.
How is the cocktail served?
The shaken cocktail is poured over ice into a mini-milkshake glass and finished with the foam. Stein said Papi serves it with two branded straws.
Is the Mami Chula available now, and how much does it cost?
The VinePair report describes the drink at Papi but does not give its price or current menu status. Customers should check with the bar for up-to-date information.
Source: vinepair.com
