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The Paper Plane is a modern-day classic cocktail made with equal parts bourbon, Amaro Nonino (bittersweet Italian Liqueur), Aperol, and fresh lemon juice. It’s a citrusy smooth and well-balanced cocktail with similar characteristics to the Sidecar or Brown Derby.

Table of Contents
Brief History
The Paper Plane was created by New York bartender, Sam Ross, of Attaboy speakeasy in the Lower East Side of Manhattan in 2008. Sam created the cocktail for a Chicago bar named The Violet Hour. The cocktail is one of the many riffs on the Last Word, which also contains four ingredients in equal parts. See also, Naked and Famous for another mezcal twist on the Paper Plane.
The cocktail was originally served with a tiny paper plane, which of course adds to the allure and overall presentation. You don’t need to be good at origami to pull it off, however, I usually skip this step at home unless I’m in a sweet mood.
Ingredients Notes & Substitutions

- Bourbon: your favorite bourbon should do the trick. I love Larceny and Elijah Craig as my standby for most bourbon cocktails. My only advice is to avoid higher 100+ proof bourbons as they will dominate the drink.
- Aperol: famous from the Aperol Spritz, Aperol is an Italian bitter apéritif made from gentian, rhubarb, and cinchona that has strong bitter orange notes.
- Amaro: Amaro Nonino is the preferred amaro for this cocktail. There are countless amaro available however they are not all interchangeable. Nonino is lighter and more citrusy with much less caramel and sweetness than many other amaro offerings. Amaro Averna or Montenegro can be substituted but it will be a slightly different experience.
- Lemon juice: always opt for fresh citrus. Use a citrus squeezer to easily and efficiently juice lemons.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities below.
Expert Tips
- Always pre-chill your glasses with ice water or place them in the freezer! This keeps your drinks cooler for much longer.
- This cocktail should not be over-shaken to preserve the overall body and not introduce too much water. Double straining with a fine mesh strainer will filter out tiny ice chips.
- I’ve also used Amaro Averna and Amaro Montenegro as substitutes. It works but my favorite is Nonino by far.
More Classic Cocktails
Enjoy this recipe? If you made this cocktail, please leave a ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ star rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments!
Paper Plane Cocktail

Ingredients
- 3/4 ounces bourbon
- 3/4 ounces Aperol
- 3/4 ounces amaro, pref. Amaro Nonino*
- 3/4 ounces lemon juice
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice.
- Vigorously shake and double strain into a chilled coupe glass.
- Optionally garnish with a tiny paper plane if you have way too much time on your hands! Just cut a small rectangle and fold it like your typical paper plane.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.