Paper Plane

Created in the early 2000's, the Paper Plane feels like a classic but is obviously quite new! This cocktail has taken world by storm. This recipe was invented by New York bartender Sam Ross who named the drink after the song of the same name by rapper M.I.A. as it was a hit at the time.

The cocktail combines Bourbon, Aperol, Amaro Nonino, and Lime Juice for a refreshing combination of bitter and just a little bit of sweetness. With that in mind, the creator warns not to shake this drink too much, lest you dilute things too much. That being said, you're welcome to make this drink your way and dilute it a little more if you want less intense flavours.

Finally, you may have heard of the Paper Plane, which is why you're here looking up the recipe. Otherwise, you'll notice that most of the ingredients in this cocktail are quite common, except for the Amaro Nonino. Perhaps you have a bottle and asked "what cocktail can I make" with it. Perhaps you're missing the Amaro and have a different brand. You can try to substitute the Nonino for a different brand, but of course there is a unique quality to each brand. Proceed with caution.

Total Time 3

Servings 1 cocktail

Ingredients

20 mL Bourbon
20 mL Aperol
20 mL Amaro Nonino
20 mL Lemon Juice

Instructions

Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice and shake. As noted, the recipe warns against excessive dilution, so it may be a good idea to not shake as much as you usually do.
Strain into a Coupe.
Serve and enjoy

More Information on the Paper Plane

A modern classic, the Paper Plane is actually quite simple in that it just balances four ingredients in equal measures. What’s also a little startling about this cocktail, which appears to be complicated at first, is that the ingredients it uses are quite common. The Amaro Nonino may be a little bit unusual for a lot of home bars, but for people who make a lot of cocktails, it’s not too bad! Unfortunately there’s not a lot you can replace Amaro Nonino with. The Amaro Nonino is a herbal liqueur, which means that there’s no real standard flavour profile to it. Kind of like how Campari is Campari – there’s not varieties, it’s a brand. But, if you have a bottle of Amaro Nonino, there’s little excuse to not make a Paper Plane!

But be warned (slightly), some people seem to dislike this cocktail. Maybe it’s because it’s a wildly successful cocktail and they’ve just gotten tired of it, maybe it’s the bitterness from the Aperol and the unusual flavours from the Amaro Nonino. Either way, you have to try it for yourself.

Can I increase the recipe for the Paper Plane?

You can make a few of these in a cocktail shaker, but don’t overdo it. Also, don’t be tempted to try and turn this into a stirred cocktail, you won’t get the same texture.

So make two, maybe three cocktails at a time. No more.

Can I make a Paper Plane in advance and serve it later?

You can, just don’t let it sit too long. There’s a lot to be said about a freshly shaken cocktail and, if you let it sit too long, you may lose some of the great texture. Feel free to make a Paper Plane before serving, but the fresher the better.

What’s the best time to try a Paper Plane?

This is such a famous cocktail, don’t wait for an excuse, just make one and try one! Cocktails like this are perfect for the cocktail hour: that time when it’s a little too early for “pre-dinner drinks.” Maybe it’s just past the time when you’ve finished work, so you wouldn’t call it a finishing work drink either. It’s that magical in between time for the Paper Plane. If it’s not the in between time, find an excuse to have people over for drinks. It’s one of those “having drinks” drinks. If you’re not following what we’re trying to say, the Paper Plane is a cocktail for having cocktails.

And it works well for that purpose. As mentioned, the recipe is made up of equal measures, and it’s actually pretty easy to make. If you’re having some people over, making a few of these is far from difficult. So go ahead, have a party!

Is the Paper Plane a strong cocktail?

It’s actually pretty light as things go. Most of the alcohol in this cocktail comes from the Bourbon, but there’s only 20 mL of it. The other alcohol comes from the Aperol and the Amaro Nonino, but these are lower in ABV than the Bourbon and there’s only 20 mL of each of those as well. The non-alcoholic component, the Lemon Juice, only comes in at 20 mL as well, so things aren’t watered down too much. This means that the ABV of this cocktail is kind of on the higher side, but the total alcohol in this cocktail is on the lower side compared to others. So drink for drink, this has less alcohol in it than, say, a Manhattan.

What’s the best music to play while drinking a Paper Plane?

This one is kind of obvious, but since the Paper Plane was named after the M.I.A. “Paper Planes,” we think it would be suitable to spin this tune while enjoying a cocktail of the same name. While we like both the song and the cocktail, unfortunately for both, they were both very popular during their hay day and by now a lot of people have tired of both. It’s been awhile now, so it’s possible it’s time to revisit both the cocktail and the song.

If you need more cocktail recipes, we can help you out

Our list of cocktail recipes is always growing, so feel free to come back often for more recipes. In the mean time, we’ve linked to the site sections of cocktail recipes we think you’ll like:

Top 10 Whiskey cocktail recipes: if you like the Paper Plane, you’ll probably like some of the best Whiskey cocktails out there. Take a look and find some more favourites.

All Whiskey cocktail recipes: or just take a look at all the Whiskey cocktail recipes we have on the site. Maybe you’ll find a hidden gem!

All Bourbon cocktail recipes: or if you just want Bourbon, this is where you can find all the Bourbon cocktail recipes we have on the site.