Paper Plane

Let’s spend the weekend drinking Paper Planes. This is a super easy 4-ingredient cocktail that involves equal parts bourbon, Amaro Nonino, fresh lemon juice, and (my personal favorite) Aperol. With so few ingredients and nothing to prep except a little lemon juicing, this cocktail comes together in minutes. It’s perfect for a weeknight sip, brunch cocktail, or when you’re hosting for the holidays.

Watch Me Make a Paper Plane

How to Make a Paper Plane

This recipe is for two cocktails because paper planes always test better with a buddy. To make a single cocktail, use 3/4 oz. of each ingredient instead of 1.5 oz.

1. Add equal parts bourbon, Aperol, Amaro Nonino, and fresh lemon juice to a cocktail shaker with ice and shake.
2. Double strain into your glass. Garnish with a lemon twist and enjoy!

What is a Paper Plane Cocktail?

A Paper Plane is a really easy 4-ingredient cocktail that is impossible to forget because its equal parts! It’s just bourbon + Aperol + Amaro Nonino + lemon juice. It’s very balanced, with a little bitterness, a little acidity, and a little sweetness. The liqueurs give it a complex, citrusy, herbal, bitter flavor that pairs perfectly with a good bottle of bourbon. The Paper Plane is also a shaken cocktail, which gives it a little bit of a frothy head. It’s served in a coupe glass, usually with a lemon twist, but you can always get creative with the garnish. If you’re hosting and you happen to know how to make an actual paper plane made of paper, fold some up and poke a cocktail pick through each one for a whimsical garnish you might find in a fancy cocktail bar.

Paper Plane Ingredients

Bourbon

Bourbon is a type of American whiskey made from mostly corn, but is often a mix of grains. It’s usually aged in charred oak barrels and therefore has a subtly sweet, oaky flavor with notes of vanilla. If you’re looking to buy a bottle for your own at-home cocktailing, try Maker’s Mark, Still Austin, Tincup Fourteener, or Basil Hayden.

Aperol

Aperol is one of the most well-known Italian liqueurs, used often in its namesake Aperol Spritz. Its signature bright orange color and bittersweet flavor comes from rhubarb and a commonly used bitter root called gentian, along with other herbs and spices. It’s honestly one of my all-time favorite liqueurs.

Amaro Nonino

A type of bitter, herbal Italian liqueur, Amaro Nonino is made from aged grappa (brandy distilled from fermented grape residue) and an earthy blend of herbs, spices, and roots. Nonino has a sort of allspice and orange peel flavor, making it the perfect accompaniment to bourbon and Aperol.

Lemon Juice

If it ain’t fresh, we don’t want it!!!

Paper Plane Cocktail Variations

• Switch up the alcohol: As soon as you veer from the classic combination of ingredients, it’s not technically a Paper Plane, but I won’t tell if you don’t. Swap out the Aperol for Campari for a little more bitterness or use rye instead of bourbon for a little more dry pepperiness.
• Grapefruit Paper Plane: A refreshing twist on this modern classic cocktail, made with grapefruit juice instead of lemon. It’s bittersweet, bold, and stunning in a coupe—the perfect cocktail for citrus season.
• Strawberry Paper Plane Sour: Sweet, citrusy, and perfectly balanced, the Strawberry Paper Plane Sour uses strawberry-infused Aperol plus an egg white for extra foamy goodness.