Paper Plane
A bitter and sour cocktail ∙ Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 16.9% ABV ∙
The Paper Plane is an equal-parts modern whiskey sour made with bourbon, Amaro Nonino, an aperitivo bitter, and fresh lemon juice, shaken and served up.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake all ingredients with ice: Bourbon 30 mlAmaro Nonino Quintessentia 30 mlAperitivo 30 mlLemon juice 30 ml
- Strain into the chilled cocktail glass
Tips
- Give it a hard shake for a full 10–12 seconds, so the amaro and aperitivo are completely mixed with the lemon before you strain.
History
The Paper Plane was created in 2008 by Sam Ross and his Milk & Honey mentor, Sasha Petraske, as a favor for former colleague Toby Maloney, who wanted a summer drink for his new Chicago bar, The Violet Hour. They built it as an equal-parts riff on the Last Word, a Prohibition-era gin cocktail recently revived by Seattle bartender Murray Stenson, and named it after the M.I.A. track "Paper Planes," which the two had on repeat while developing the drink. Ross tried rye, applejack, and brandy before settling on bourbon in place of gin, then relayed the recipe to Maloney by voicemail; Maloney misheard it and listed the drink on the menu as the "paper airplane." That first version was built on Campari alongside Amaro Nonino and lemon juice, but two days later Ross found it too bitter and not sweet enough, and swapped in Aperol — the formula that became the standard recipe.
In 2020, the International Bartenders Association added the Paper Plane to its official cocktail list in the New Era Drinks category.
FAQ
What are the ingredients in a Paper Plane cocktail?
A Paper Plane is made of equal parts bourbon, Amaro Nonino, an aperitivo bitter, and fresh lemon juice, 30 ml each. The four-way equal split is what defines the drink rather than any single dominant spirit.
Is a Paper Plane a strong drink?
Moderately. It is about 16.9% ABV, because bourbon is only a quarter of the drink; the rest is amaro, aperitivo, and lemon juice.
How do you make a traditional Paper Plane?
Shake 30 ml each of bourbon, Amaro Nonino, an aperitivo bitter, and fresh lemon juice hard with ice for 10–12 seconds. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. The traditional recipe has no garnish.
What can I use instead of Amaro Nonino in a Paper Plane?
Another bittersweet amaro, such as Amaro Montenegro or Ramazzotti. Both share some of Nonino's bitterness and honeyed sweetness without burying the bourbon and lemon. Avoid a very bitter, heavy amaro: as a full equal part, it takes over the drink.
Can you make a Paper Plane without Amaro Nonino?
Not without changing the drink, since Amaro Nonino is one of its four equal parts. Most bartenders swap in a similar amaro rather than leave it out.
