Y'all have been going nuts over some Aperol cocktails recently, so today I'm introducing you to a lesser known, but truly fantastic Aperol drink made with equal parts of the Italian aperitif, bourbon, Amaro, and fresh squeezed lemon juice: The Paper Plane.
Originally invented by bartender Sam Ross in 2007, this cocktail is NOT a prohibition era revival. It does have that same flair though - it's simple to make, packs a punch, and has a certain balance to it that makes it dangerously sessionable.
This Aperol Bourbon cocktail is supposedly a more modern take on the pre-prohibition cocktail "The Last Word", but other than citrus and equal parts of things, they share nothing in common.
Cocktail experts of the world, please come in and correct me if I'm mistaken! But this one seems to me a case of, "At what point is something so far from the original that it seems ridiculous to even allude to it?!"
So what IS in a Paper Plane?
Equal parts of the following:
- Aperol
- Bourbon
- Amaro Nonino
- Fresh Squeeze Lemon Juice
If you like this drink, you might also like these other Aperol cocktails:
Paper Plane
Ingredients
- .75 oz Bourbon
- .75 oz Aperol
- .75 oz Amaro Nonino
- .75 oz Fresh lemon juice
Equipment
- Cocktail Shaker
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients with a handful of ice in a cocktail shaker. Place the lid securely on the shaker and shake everything until the outside of the shaker begins to frost. Serve up, in a stemmed cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon curl
This recent article might be of interest: https://punchdrink.com/articles/how-paper-plane-became-modern-classic-cocktail-recipe-milk-and-honey-nyc/
I think calling it a riff on a well known drink is primarily a memory device, but the Last Word equal parts sour template is stated as how the drink was conceived. 1 base spirit, 1 fruit liqueur, 1 herbal liqueur, 1 citrus juice.