The world of cocktails is constantly changing. New, innovative drinks are developed every day, and while some trends come and go, others are destined to become classics, those that will still be chic to drink 50 years from now because they are delicious, perfectly balanced, and beautiful to behold. The Paper Plane just might fall into the latter category.
Based in bourbon, which is experiencing a burst of trendiness, it is a masterful combination of bitter, tangy, and herbal flavor notes. The name itself, though, gives no indication of what's in the drink. With a name like Paper Plane, one might expect it to be sky-blue in color, or perhaps a variation of the Aviation cocktail, but it's actually a rusty orange color and a spin on a drink called Last Word.
The creator of the drink happened to be listening to M.I.A.
's 2008 hit "Paper Planes" on repeat while he was making the new cocktail and, thus, named it accordingly. Despite the presence of bourbon, a Paper Plane is unmistakably Italian in attitude, as it contains both Aperol (of ) and a grappa-based amaro called Amaro Nonino, both of which give the drink its bitter edge. To brighten it up, fresh lemon juice is included, and everything is served straight up after being shaken with ice until nicely chilled.
Who created the Paper Plane? Sam Ross is an award-winning bartender and co-owner of New York City cocktail lounge Attaboy, which was formerly called Milk & Honey. He is a master mixologist, but doesn't spend all his time b.
