I had my first experience with the Paper Plane cocktail when I visited blustery, wintry New York City in February. While I was scouring the cocktail list in the dim light of the cozy bar trying to decide what would warm me up from the inside, I was intrigued by this bourbon drink I had not heard of before. I, obviously, had to try it.

Paper plane cocktail
Paper Plane Cocktail

The Paper Plane has a delectable tangy bitterness that enhances the bourbon, but does not overpower the taste buds.

It is served in a delicate coupe glass that makes you feel like you need to stick your pinky out.

Paper Plane Cocktail Recipe

Recipe by Sam Ross
4.0 from 1 vote
Course: BeverageCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy
Servings

1

servings
Prep time

2

minutes
Cooking time

2

minutes
Calories

168

kcal
Total time

4

minutes

This is a delicious cocktail that has bitter and tart notes.

Cocktail Mode

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Equipment

Ingredients

  • 0.75 oz Bourbon

  • 0.75 oz Amaro Nonino

  • 0.75 oz Aperol

  • 0.75 oz Fresh Lemon Juice

Directions

  • Combine all the ingredients into a shaker tin.Lemon juice for a paper planeAperol for a paper plane
  • Add ice.
  • Shake vigorously for 12 – 15 seconds.Shake a paper plane
  • Double strain your cocktail into your chilled Coupe glass.Double strain paper plane

Notes

  • You may be thinking to yourself that the images of the Paper Plane look bigger then 1 serving. You might be right. 🤷‍♂️

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Who Created the Paper Plane Cocktail?

A NYC bartender, Sam Ross, was asked to create an original cocktail for a new Chicago-based bar, The Violet Hour. Ross named his new drink after a 2007 hit summer song, “Paper Planes” by M.I.A.

The Inspiration for the Paper Plane

To get a well-rounded picture of where the Paper Plane cocktail came from, we need to start at the beginning. The Paper Plane cocktail is a modern variation of the pre-Prohibition cocktail the Last Word. 

The Last Word got its start in the Detroit Athletic Club’s bar in the early 1920s. While the Last Word lasted into the 1950s, it eventually fell into obscurity.

It was resurrected by a Seattle bartender, Murray Stenson, in the early 2000s who found it while reading Ted Saucier’s book Bottoms Up. The Last Word meandered its way across the country to New York City until a popular bar picked it up and increased its popularity. 

The original cocktail included Campari, but was changed to include Aperol instead which lends to the unique red-orange color of the Paper Plane cocktail.

Ross even chose to garnish it with an actual paper plane.

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