Paper Plane

Name: Paper Plane Cocktail Recipe
Total time: 3 min
Ingredients: Blade and Bow Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey; Grappa-Based Amaro; Light Italian Bitter Aperitif; Lemon Juice; Lemon Twist

Bourbon

Prep time: 3 mins

Author: Gina Pace

A cocktail in a coupe glass sits beside a bottle of Blade and Bow bourbon, a plate of fresh vegetables, dried fruits, and deviled eggs with garnish on a pink tablecloth.

The Paper Plane is a modern classic that was created in 2008 in Chicago and named after a hit 2000s song. It’s a riff on the Last Word, an equal-parts, pre-Prohibition era cocktail. Instead of gin, herbal green liqueur, maraschino liqueur and lime juice, it uses bourbon, a grappa-based amaro, light Italian bitter aperitif and lemon juice. It’s got more of a bittersweet flavor profile than the Last Word but shares a balance of sour, sweet and herbal flavors.

What you’ll need:

Ingredients:

Serves:

Blade and Bow Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
0.75oz
Grappa-Based Amaro
0.75oz
Light Italian Bitter Aperitif
0.75oz
Lemon Juice
0.75oz
Lemon Twist
To garnish

*Approximate serving size is 1.7 servings. Please enjoy responsibly.

Method

Step 1
Using a sharp knife and a cutting board, remove a long slice of lemon skin, leaving as little pith on the peel as possible. Gently curl into a twist and set aside.
Step 2
Combine bourbon, light Italian bitter aperitif and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker with ice.
Step 3
Shake until combined and strain into a coupe glass.
Step 4
Twist the lemon peel over the drink to express the oils, then add as garnish.

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A modern twist on the Last Word, this cocktail is a perfectly balanced combination of sour, sweet and herbal flavors.