Paper Plane Cocktail Recipe
Equal parts bourbon, Aperol, Amaro Nonino and lemon — the four-way split that a generation of bartenders learned balance from.
- Category: New Era Drinks
- Glass: Coupe glass
- ABV: 20%
- Difficulty: Easy
- Prep time: ~3 min
Ingredients
- Bourbon22 ml (0.7 oz)
- Aperol22 ml (0.7 oz)
- Amaro22 ml (0.7 oz)
- Fresh lemon juice22 ml (0.7 oz)
How to Make It
- Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice.
- Shake until well chilled.
- Double-strain into a chilled coupe.
Garnish
None
What it tastes like
It has a bitter backbone, the citrus acidity leads and it smells of lemon and lime peel.
The technique
Shaking. Anything with juice, syrup, egg white or cream gets shaken: the shaker chills the drink and adds roughly 20% water, and that water is what takes the edge off. Twelve to fifteen seconds, until the tin frosts over. Under-shaking leaves the drink harsh because it never got enough dilution.
Glass and ice
A stemmed, shallow coupe. The stem keeps your hand's warmth away from the drink, and the wide bowl carries the aroma to your nose. Served without ice.
Ingredient notes and substitutes
- Bourbon
- American whiskey made from at least 51% corn and aged in new charred oak. The corn gives sweetness, the barrel vanilla; swap in rye and the drink turns noticeably spicier.
- Aperol
- The orange aperitif, flavoured with bitter orange and rhubarb. It is Campari's gentler cousin: 11% alcohol, sweeter, far less bitter. Substituting Campari means adding sugar.
- Amaro
- The umbrella name for Italian bitter liqueurs, and no two are alike. Averna is sweet and caramelly, Fernet sharp and minty, Montenegro floral — which is why a recipe naming a brand means it.
- Fresh lemon juice
- Freshly squeezed lemon; one lemon gives 30-40 ml. It can swap with lime, but lemon is softer and less aromatic, so use a touch more.
The Story
Sam Ross created it in 2007 for Violet Hour in Chicago, naming it after the M.I.A. song; it is the Last Word's American descendant.
Frequently asked questions
- How is a Paper Plane mixed?
- It is shaken and served in a coupe.
- How strong is a Paper Plane?
- Roughly 20% ABV as served — in fortified-wine territory — plan it as a single drink.
- Can a Paper Plane be made without alcohol?
- Simply leaving the spirit out does not work — the body and the bitterness go with it. The 86 alcohol-free recipes in the catalogue are built to hit that balance from the start.
- Is a Paper Plane hard to make?
- Easy. No bar kit required — a measure, ice and a jar will do.
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Alcoholic drink recipes are intended for those aged 18 and over. Please drink responsibly.