HOW I MAKE THAT DRINK (AND WHY IT'S SO GOOD)

 

 

“Every cocktail tells a story. The story of Maverick 2.0 is that of a classic we wanted to look at from a different perspective,” explains Steve, Head Bartender at La Réserve Ramatuelle, the exclusive and extravagant (in a good way) palace-like hotel on the French Riviera. 

 

This summer he decided to shake things up (quite literally) in the delightful and whimsical bar Bar L’Oliviera. Which is when he came up with Maverick 2.0, which sounds, unfortunately, like a piece of AI software, but, fortunately, doesn’t taste like one.

 

 

 

 

 

The Drink

 

Maverick 2.0

 

The Maverick Martini, now more widely known as the Porn Star Martini, has become a true icon of modern mixology. Generous, indulgent, and instantly recognizable, it is a cocktail with a strong identity. Rather than reinventing it, we chose to preserve its essence while completely transforming the way it expresses itself.

 

Our ambition was simple: rediscover all the signature flavors of the Maverick Martini in a cocktail of apparent simplicity, where technique disappears in favor of emotion. 

 

For Maverick 2.0, everything starts with two house-made liqueurs: a passion fruit liqueur and a vanilla liqueur. These are blended with a champagne cordial, also crafted in-house, then combined with vanilla-distilled vodka produced using our rotary evaporator, before being enhanced with passion fruit purée to intensify its aromatic profile.

 

We then introduce a touch of whole milk. When exposed to acidity, the milk naturally coagulates, trapping impurities and tannins. After several hours of resting and an extremely slow filtration process, we obtain a crystal-clear liquid whose appearance recalls that of champagne.

 

This is the moment when the project takes on a new dimension.

 

We decided to carbonate the cocktail through CO₂ injection in order to recreate the finesse of controlled effervescence. The result blurs expectations: visually, it resembles champagne; on the nose and palate, it reveals all the indulgence of passion fruit and the softness of vanilla, carried by delicate and precise bubbles.

 

Our desire was to create a familiar experience… in a completely unexpected way.

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

 

Rotovap-distilled vanilla vodka

House-made passion fruit liqueur

House-made vanilla liqueur

Ponthier passion fruit purée

Verjus

House-made champagne cordial

Whole milk

CO₂ carbonation

 

Verjus – which means “green juice” in French, is an acidic, unfermented extract of unripe grapes. 

 

All of our crafted ingredients are produced in-house to ensure complete control over the balance of sweetness, acidity, and texture. This approach allows us to build every cocktail without compromising flavor.

 

 

 

 

Preparation

 

All ingredients are combined and left to rest for approximately eight hours. During this time, the milk naturally coagulates under the effect of acidity, capturing the particles responsible for texture and color.

 

The liquid is then bottled in a carbonation vessel and charged with CO₂. 

 

After one hour of resting at a cold temperature, the gas fully integrates into the blend and the cocktail is ready to be served.

 

The result is a cocktail that plays with perception: the visual freshness of champagne, the indulgence of a Maverick Martini, and the precision of a contemporary creation.