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Papi in Portland, Maine, is serving the Mami Chula, a rum-and-passion-fruit cocktail inspired by the Pornstar Martini and crowned with Cava custard foam. Beverage and creative director Izzy Stein developed the topping first, then built the drink around it; the bar’s current milkshake-glass presentation has become a best-seller, according to Stein.
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 and creative director Izzy Stein developed the foam before settling on the drink beneath it, creating a garnish that adds a creamy, wine-inflected layer to the cocktail rather than a conventional sparkling-wine sidecar.
The foam starts with several bottles of Cava, usually Martínez, which Stein reduces by about 40 percent to concentrate its flavor and thicken the wine. She combines the reduction with egg yolk, cream and vanilla, then aerates the mixture in an iSi canister. Stein says reducing the wine brings out its bitter and acidic qualities, counterbalancing the custard’s richness.
The cocktail itself combines rum infused with bourbon and vanilla bean paste with lime juice and several forms of passion fruit: liqueur, syrup and pulp. The shaken mixture is served over ice in a mini milkshake glass, with a tall swirl of foam on top. The ingredients echo the Pornstar Martini’s vanilla and passion-fruit profile, while the rum and foam give Papi’s version its own build.
Stein told VinePair that the drink began as an attempt to make a crème brûlée-inspired Pisco Sour. The concept changed as she tried different combinations, eventually becoming the Mami Chula. She said the current version has become one of Papi’s best-sellers after the team changed its presentation to a milkshake glass and added two Papi-branded straws.
A Foam Built Into the Drink
The Mami Chula treats foam as part of the cocktail’s flavor and texture, not just a visual garnish. According to Stein, the custard’s fat content helps it retain its shape rather than immediately blending into the drink. Customers can stir in as much or as little as they like, adjusting the balance between the rich, sweet topping and the tart fruit underneath.
That approach also reworks a familiar feature of the Pornstar Martini: its sparkling-wine accompaniment. Here, Cava is incorporated into an aerated custard topping, linking the wine to the drink while changing how it is experienced. The result reflects one way a bar can make a recognizable cocktail reference feel distinct through technique and presentation, rather than simply reproducing the original formula.
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From Pisco Sour to Mami Chula
Stein told VinePair that she started with the idea of a Cava custard while developing a crème brûlée-inspired Pisco Sour. The foam was the starting point; she then looked for a drink that could work with its creaminess and acidity. Passion fruit became a key part of the answer, since its tartness could offset the custard and suit the brighter character Stein associates with Cava.
The cocktail has also changed in appearance. An earlier version was served in a larger, taller glass, with the foam’s edge caramelized using a torch. Stein said she thought that presentation might have seemed too over-the-top and could put customers off. The bar later moved to a mini milkshake glass with branded straws. Stein described the updated look to VinePair as “a little cuter” and “a bit less flashy.”
““It was a little bit of a scavenger hunt, starting from a small concept and then just building around that.””
— Izzy Stein, Papi beverage and creative director, speaking to VinePair
The source report does not provide the Mami Chula’s price, alcohol content, full recipe measurements or availability dates. It also gives no sales figures to quantify Stein’s description of the drink as one of Papi’s best-sellers. The report describes how the bar prepares the foam but does not specify its storage time or how long a batch remains on the menu.
The recipe contains egg yolk and cream, so it includes egg and dairy. The source does not state how the bar handles allergens or whether substitutions are available. Readers with allergies should ask Papi directly before ordering.
Check Papi for Current Availability
The source does not identify a scheduled menu change or a future launch tied to the Mami Chula. Its reported status is as a current Papi cocktail, but availability, price and ingredients can change. Customers interested in trying it should check with the bar for current menu details and ask about allergens before ordering.
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 the report, Izzy Stein reduces Cava and combines it with egg yolk, cream and vanilla, then aerates the mixture in an iSi canister.
How is the cocktail related to a Pornstar Martini?
The Mami Chula draws on the classic drink’s vanilla and passion-fruit flavors. Its rum is infused with bourbon and vanilla bean paste, and it uses passion-fruit liqueur, syrup and pulp. The Cava foam reimagines the sparkling-wine element as a topping.
Does the drink contain common allergens?
The reported foam recipe contains egg and dairy. The source does not say whether the bar offers substitutions or describe its allergen procedures; ask Papi directly before ordering if you have an allergy.
Source: vinepair.com
