Paper Plane

Now boarding: The Paper Plane. 

Bartender Sam Ross was about a decade ahead of the Aperol trend when he invented the Paper Plane back in 2008. Known for making modern classics like the Penicillin and Kentucky Maid, Sam Ross had an odd muse behind this drink. His stroke of genius was inspired by two things: M.I.A and the Last Word. M.I.A.’s hit song at the time, “Paper Plane” was obviously the inspiration for the name, while the famous gin cocktail, “Last Word” inspired the drink’s formula. 

The Last Word is a pre-Prohibition cocktail that shows the real power of an equal parts cocktail. Composed of gin, green Chartreuse, maraschino liqueur, and fresh lime juice the Paper Plane was famous for its blend of sweet, sour, and herbal. The only thing that could possibly make it better was bourbon. 

As a Last Word riff, this new cocktail still captures that sweet and sour balance, but with a few modifications. The puckering sour no longer comes from lime juice, but rather lemon juice and Aperol. That now famous orange apéritif isn’t just for sour kicks, but helps to build the bridge into herbal territory where it’s met by amaro. There are about a million different types of amaro you can choose from for the Paper Plane, but the original recipe calls for Nonino. If you’re really looking for a herbal mouthful though, Fernet-Branco is a fun substitution. 

Rounding out the entire flight of ingredients, of course, is bourbon. The quality of ingredients really makes or breaks an equal parts cocktail, so be sure to pick a high-proof, high-quality bourbon for the best experience. 

The Paper Plane might be fairly new, but it’s certainly a first class cocktail.