What is your personal connection to coffee and how did that inspiration manifest at Maman?

Coffee has always been a huge part of my life since as long as I can remember! Back to my grandmother’s car smelling like a cup of donut shop coffee as she waited to pick me up from school I knew I needed to have whatever that was.

Falling into the beverage industry as a profession was kind of by a force of good fortune accidentally meeting the owners of Maman right before the first cafe opened in Soho on Centre in 2014. Now almost 9 years later I still pride myself on working with something I enjoy and so many thousands of Maman customers love so much on a daily basis.

Once you work with coffee you begin to see how many other beverages can be tapped into all of which offer people that very special moment of enjoyment by either getting something classic or trying something new and seasonal, I love those renegade customers who love to try new and exciting things! That’s why making new menu creations is the favorite part of my job.

I met Táche co-founder, Kyle Henry, during December of 2020 while Maman was doing a Christmas pop-up in our Marche and I immediately loved the product and wanted to incorporate it into our menu right away. We featured it in a very special pistachio milk ginger and spice infusion (drooling at the memory) and served it in a coupe glass (because why NOT), and then 2.5 years later we were very excited to feature another special drink made with Táche that is now sold at 29+ Maman locations! 

What makes Maman unique? 

Maman is a place that feels familiar and comfortable but also has stealthy new and interesting items whether it is a crazy beautiful brightly colored laminated pastry amidst stacks of cookies or a specialty coffee or cocktail beverage that comes with a beautiful garnish and makes you stop to enjoy it for a moment. I don’t think an experience at Maman will ever be a soulless transaction because there is so much love behind what everyone does here, and it will hopefully turn into a hospitality experience you will remember fondly. 

Is there an unexpected ingredient you think more people should pair with coffee?

Citrus! Or florals! Our spring lineup at Maman is super subtle but really goes great with coffee and tea alike! 

What advice would you give to baristas working with Táche for the first time? 

Everytime I introduce a new barista to Táche their ears perk up and want to try/experiment with it right away. We have sold so many Táche drinks, particularly cappuccinos and matcha lattes by having baristas who are great at selling their own personal experience and enjoyment with the product. Opening in the DC area a lot of baristas were new to the scene and super eager to try Táche with everything, it was so fun to watch.

How do you steam Táche to achieve the perfect latte art?   

When I train new baristas a lot of the time they haven’t tried steaming Táche yet, so I usually let them know it will be a very rich texture and does not need a high level of aeration/stretches that you might give to other non-dairy alternatives in order to get to the microfoam texture for a great pour.

Tell us about your Táche recipe, what inspired you to create it, how do you see using pistachio milk in future recipes, and what have you learned from using it in your shop?

I knew immediately I wanted to utilize Táche to complement a tea latte instead of an espresso based drink. It felt very spring to me! Our most popular tea at Maman is the Jasmine Mist and I thought the creaminess of the pistachio milk would pair with it so well. A honey based jasmine flower infused syrup is what makes the drink just a little bit sweet so the beverage also serves that feeling of having a little treat built into your day. Since spring quickly turns into “summer” temps in the city we really wanted a drink that would be equally delicious hot or iced and the Táche cold foams very nicely for the iced tea version.

About Maman

Maman founders Benjamin Sormonte and Elisa Marshall have brought to life a melding of our earliest childhood experiences in the kitchen and a nod to their mothers from the south of France and North America. Maman, after all, means “mother” in french. what started as an independent soho café and bakery is now a leading lifestyle brand that boasts cafés across North America.