Paper Plane
Ingredients
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- 3/4 ounces bourbon
- 3/4 ounces Aperol
- 3/4 ounces Amaro Nonino
- 3/4 ounces lemon juice – freshly squeezed (~0.5 medium lemons)
- ice
Instructions
1. Place a coupe glass in the freezer to chill, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the bourbon, Aperol, Amaro Nonino, and freshly squeezed lemon juice to a cocktail shaker.
3. Fill the shaker with ice.
4. Shake hard until well-chilled and the outside of the shaker is frosty, 10–12 seconds.
5. Double strain into the chilled coupe.
6. Serve immediately.
The Paper Plane is a bright, bittersweet, and citrus-forward cocktail that lands right in the sweet spot between refreshing and complex. Equal parts bourbon, Aperol, Amaro Nonino, and fresh lemon juice create a silky balance of honeyed whiskey warmth, orange-bitter lift, and tangy acidity. Served up in a chilled coupe, it drinks clean and crisp with a lingering herbal finish that invites another sip.
Created in the modern craft-cocktail era, the drink has become a contemporary classic in bars worldwide. It was developed by bartender Sam Ross in 2007, originally devised for a Chicago menu and named after the M.I.A. song that was playing at the time. Its equal-parts format and use of Amaro Nonino helped introduce a broader audience to Italian bitters, cementing the Paper Plane’s place as a gateway to amaro-driven cocktails.