This bourbon Amaro Aperol based Paper Plane cocktail is a must try! The taste varies from sweet and tangy, with a perfect balance between Bourbon, Aperol and Amaro. Even for non-whiskey drinkers, this is THE interesting, complex, deliciously yummy drink to celebrate with at your holiday parties.
The Paper Plane Cocktail is a strong cocktail. It has to be right – it got all those strong liquor and rightly named bourbon Amaro Aperol cocktail. At the same time, I find it so deliciously addictive which can be a little dangerous 😛 This cocktail has three alcoholic liquors in equal amounts. 🙂 But the thig is even if you aren’t a whiskey/bourbon drinker, it would still get you hooked. It did to me.
I love mixing cocktails and serving them in cute vintage glasses. I love the way they look (guilty as charged – I’m all in for the aesthetics). Honestly I love making cocktails more than drinking them. There is nothing like, crafting a cocktail for a friend and handing over the glass to them. Ah! seeing their faces light up in anticipation is – priceless.
WHY THIS BOURBON COCKTAIL IS CALLED PAPER PLANE
The Paper Plane is an IBA official cocktail (Trust me, I had to look it up. Had no clue what an IBA is. :P). Apparently, Paper Plane cocktail is named after the M.I.A track “Paper Planes,”. This delicious bourbon-amaro-aperol cocktail was developed in 2008 for the Violet Hour bar in Chicago. (Notes to self – will check out this bar when I’m in Chicago next).
Trust me when I say this, when I tried this cocktail at a friend’s the first time, my first thought was that it tastes so much like The Last Word, which is also an equal-parts-ingredients based drink. In fact I made the Last Word cocktail so many times last year for my husband and friends. I wish I had a post written up on that so that I could link it here. 🙁
This Paper Plane cocktail is made with equal parts of Bourbon, Amaro and Aperol striking a harmony between bitter, sour and herbal notes.
INGREDIENTS USED IN THIS BOURBON AMARO APEROL COCKTAIL
- Bourbon whiskey
- Aperol
- Italian amaro
- Lemon juice
SO, WHAT IS AMARO
What Kind of Liquor is Amaro Nonino? – Amaro Nanio liquor was invented in 1992 by a distiller named Antonio Nonino in Friuli, Italy. It’s unique because it’s made using grappa, infusing it with herbs, fruits and botanicals.
What does Amaro Nonino liquor tastes like? – The bittersweet liqueur has flavor notes of orange, honey, vanilla, licorice, allspice, mango, pepper, and cocoa. It’s got a very unique flavor rofile which can be an acquired taste for many.
Though, I haven’t tried any other Amaro Nonino based cocktails except for Paper Plane, but I strongly feel that, if you like this liquor, then you MUST try this Paper Plane cocktail recipe. I personally feel Bourbon and Amaro match very well.
AND, WHAT IS APEROL LIQUOR
So, what is Aperol Liquor? – It is a Italian liqueur that’s an aperitif: a liquor designed for sipping before a meal. It’s considered an Italian amaro or bitter (amaro means “little bitter”), but it’s the sweetest in the family. It was invented in Padua, Italy in 1919 by brothers Luigi and Silvio Barbieri.
What does Aperol taste like? – Aperol has a complex orange taste. Its a sibling of Campari, but Aperol tastes sweeter because of bitter orange, gentian and cinchona flower.
What other cocktails can be made with Aperol? – Aperol and Gin go really well in cocktails. In fact there are so many cocktails out there that can be made using Aperol like Aperol Spritz which is a very popular cocktail.
HOW TO MAKE A PAPER PLANE COCKTAIL
- Shake: Add the ingredients to a cocktail shaker. Fill it with ice and then shake until very cold.
- Strain: Strain the drink into a cocktail glass.
- Garnish: If you’d like, a lemon peel makes the glass more festive.
TIPS and TRICKS TO MAKE THE BEST BOURBON AMARO APEROL COCKTAIL
- Bourbon can be swapped for Rum
- Campari can be swapped for Aperol
- Amaro Nonino can be swapped for Grand Mariner, and add a dash or two of bitters.
How about some other whiskey based recipe?
Like, Honey-Ginger-Whiskey Cocktail
or, even a Chocolate Whiskey Cake
Paper Plane Cocktail (Bourbon Aperol Amaro Cocktail)
Equipment
- Cocktail Shaker
Ingredients
- 2 ounce Amaro (preferably Nonino)
- 2 ounce Aperol
- 2 ounce Bourbon
- 2 ounce Lemon juice
Instructions
- Combine amaro, Aperol, bourbon, and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker. Fill with ice and shake vigorously until outside of shaker is frosty, about 20 seconds. Strain into 2 coupe glasses
There is no substitute for Amaro Nonino. That’s like saying you can sub a sweet potato for for a regular potato and not change the flavor of the end result.
No, no, no, no. All of your swaps are dead wrong. Cynar is not even close to Nonino. Campari is much more bitter than Aperol. Grand Marnier is an orange cognac…those flavor profiles are all way off the mark and will not net the same result as using the actual recipe.