Paper Plane
Four equal parts, perfect balance.
Bourbon, Amaro Nonino, Aperol and lemon in equal parts. Citrusy, gently bitter and surprisingly smooth, it is one of the most successful modern classics, built on the Last Word template.
- IBA · New Era
- Aperitif
- Shaken
- Glass
- Cocktail glass
- Method
- Shaken
- Strength
- Medium
- Time
- 3 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Ice
- No ice
Ingredients
Measures for 1 serving
-
Bourbon whiskey
30 ml
-
Amaro Nonino
30 ml
-
Aperol
30 ml
-
Lemon juice
30 ml
Proportions
How to make
- Chill a cocktail glass.
- Pour the bourbon into a shaker.
- Add the Amaro Nonino.
- Add the Aperol.
- Add the lemon juice.
- Shake hard with ice.
- Strain into the chilled glass.
- Serve without garnish.
The story
Origins
DocumentedOrigin attested by written sources of the time.
The Paper Plane is the work of Sam Ross, an Australian bartender working in New York, who created it at Toby Maloney's request for The Violet Hour in Chicago: the drink debuted on the summer 2008 menu, where a phone misunderstanding listed it as 'The Paper Airplane'. The name comes from M.I.A.'s song 'Paper Planes', played on repeat during those months. The first version, an equal-parts riff on the Last Word, used Campari, but Ross found it too bitter and soon switched to Aperol. Later served by Ross at Milk & Honey and Little Branch in New York, the cocktail spread quickly to bars around the world.
Sources (3)
Taste profile
- Bitter
- 3 out of 5
- Citrus
- 3 out of 5
- Sour
- 3 out of 5
- Sweet
- 2 out of 5
- Herbal
- 2 out of 5
