The Paper Plane recipe
for your table
Shake all the ingredients with plenty of ice for 15 seconds.
Double strain into a chilled coupe.
Fold a strip of paper into a tiny paper plane and place it on the rim.
Serve immediately. This cocktail should be ice-cold.
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The story
Star bartender Sam Ross, also the creator of the Penicillin, created the Paper Plane in 2007 for the opening of The Violet Hour in Chicago, and named it after M.I.A.’s hit Paper Planes, which was playing everywhere that summer. The recipe plays with the classic Last Word formula: four equal parts, but with Italian bitters and bourbon. Within a few years, it had appeared on cocktail menus from Sydney to Amsterdam and is now considered the definitive modern classic.
The right glass
The Paper Plane's orange-pink glow is best showcased in a clear coupe of 22 to 24 cl. The stemmed glass keeps the cocktail cold, which is important because it is served without ice, while the wide bowl displays the beautiful color gradient. A finely cut rim makes drinking it just as refined as the taste. Prefer a glass with a smaller bowl? Take a look at our Nick & Nora glasses.
RCR Opera Champagne Glass / Coupe 24 cl (6 pieces)
Nude Glass Savage Champagne Glass / Coupe 22 cl (6 pieces)
Both sets together € 106,90.
The right tools
For a Paper Plane, in addition to the glass, you need a shaker, a jigger for precise measuring, a fine strainer for double straining and a citrus juicer. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glass set (our choice 01) + 4 bar tools together € 96,75.
What do you make a Paper Plane with?
A Paper Plane needs the right base. On every drink page, you can see the percentage, how it tastes, which cocktails it pairs with and which glass you need.
Variations & twists
No Amaro Nonino at home? Montenegro or Meletti come close, each with its own accent. With mezcal instead of bourbon, you get smoke beneath the bittersweetness. Serve it as an aperitif with an Italian dinner; it stimulates the appetite like no other. Looking for more inspiration? Browse more than 100 cocktail recipes.
Servingtip
Amaro Nonino is the key: its smooth orange-and-herb profile is difficult to replace. Can't find Nonino? Montenegro comes close, but taste and adjust with a drop of syrup.
Good to know
Measure four equal 2 cl parts
This cocktail consists of four equal 2 cl measures: bourbon, Aperol, Amaro Nonino, and fresh lemon juice. Precisely because nothing dominates, accurate measuring matters more here than in any other recipe; half a centiliter extra Aperol immediately makes the whole drink too sweet, while half a centiliter extra lemon makes it too sharp. Use a jigger with a 2 cl side and fill it to the rim. Shaking for fifteen seconds with plenty of ice dilutes it by about a quarter, turning the 8 cl from the shaker into about 10 cl in the coupe.
Amaro Nonino and the alternatives
Amaro Nonino Quintessentia is made from grappa and aged in wood, giving it a smooth, orange-forward, lightly caramel-like character; it determines the balance and costs around forty euros per bottle. Amaro Montenegro is the best alternative, slightly more floral and sweeter, so taste and adjust with a few extra drops of lemon. Amaro Meletti brings more vanilla and saffron. Averna and Ramazzotti are noticeably more bitter and darker, causing the cocktail to lose its light character. You can find Nonino at better liquor stores in the Netherlands.
How strong is a Paper Plane
Bourbon is around 45 percent ABV, Amaro Nonino 35, and Aperol 11; the lemon juice contributes nothing. Combined in the shaker, that comes to about 23 percent, and after fifteen seconds of shaking with plenty of ice, about 17 to 18 percent remains in the glass. For a 10 cl cocktail without ice, that is considerable, especially because the bittersweet flavor masks the strength well. So serve it as an aperitif in a single glass, not as a drink for the entire evening.
Folding the paper airplane
The garnish refers to M.I.A.'s song Paper Planes, after which creator Sam Ross named the cocktail in 2007. Cut a strip of sturdy paper measuring approximately four by six centimeters, fold it in half lengthwise, fold the two top corners toward the center crease, repeat this, and fold the wings outward. Clip the airplane onto the rim of the coupe or let it rest on the surface. Do not use ink-heavy paper, as the dye will run as soon as it comes into contact with the cocktail.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Paper Plane cocktail?
The Paper Plane is a modern sour made with four equal parts: 2 cl bourbon, 2 cl Aperol, 2 cl Amaro Nonino and 2 cl fresh lemon juice, shaken with plenty of ice and double-strained. Star bartender Sam Ross created it in 2007 for The Violet Hour in Chicago.
Why is the Paper Plane called that?
Sam Ross named the cocktail after M.I.A.'s song Paper Planes, which was heard everywhere in the summer of 2007. Tradition has it that you place a small paper airplane on the rim of the glass, although that garnish is technically optional.
Is a Paper Plane strong?
It is less strong than it looks: of the eight centiliters of liquid, only 2 cl is bourbon, while Aperol and Amaro Nonino are considerably lighter at approximately 11 and 35 percent. After shaking with ice, you end up with roughly 18 percent alcohol in the glass.
Which glass do you use for a Paper Plane?
A 22 to 24 cl coupe. The cocktail is served without ice, so the stemmed glass keeps it cold and the wide bowl shows off the orange-pink color transition. Chill the coupe beforehand, double-strain and serve immediately, because this cocktail should be ice-cold; see our champagne coupe glasses.
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