On a business trip to Louisville, my friend was sitting at the bar of the famous Seelbach Hotel and asked the bartender to maker her something, bourbon of course since it was Louisville after all. He made it, slid it across the bar and waited with anticipation to see if she knew what it was and if she liked it. She could not identify the drink but it was delicious as she reported to me. It was a Paper Plane: bourbon, amaro, Aperol and fresh lemon juice.
I was not familiar with it so I did a little research into it’s origins. I found that it is a much newer drink than I expected, only invented in 2008 by Sam Ross bartender and the co-owner of Attaboy and Diamond Reef in New York City. Not where I expect, it might be from, but who am I to judge?
The Paper Plane is a modern twist on the Last Word, a classic, which is equal-parts of gin, lime, maraschino liqueur and green chartreuse. At first glance, the bourbon-based Paper Plane might not seem terribly similar, but it follows the same formula; bitter, sour, herbal with a touch of sweetness. The Paper Plane is equal parts bourbon, Amaro Nonino, Aperol, and lemon juice. Both drinks strike a beautiful refreshing balance between bitter, sour, and herbal notes and both are perfect Summer drinks.
Note: We had a Paper Plane made with another amaro- it was NOT the same as one made with Nonina Amaro.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 ounces Amaro Nonino
- 1 1/2 ounces Aperol
- 1 1/2 ounces bourbon
- 1 1/2 ounces fresh lemon juice, strained
Directions:
- Combine Amaro, Aperol, bourbon, and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker.
- Fill with ice and shake vigorously until outside of shaker is frosty, about 20 seconds.
- Strain into a coupe glasses.
- Garnish with mini-paper airplane and a lemon.
