While you only need a piece of paper to create a paper plane, you’ll need the following ingredients to craft a Paper Plane cocktail:
Ingredient quantities are detailed in the printable recipe card below.
Once you assemble these ingredients, the drink is easy to craft using a 1:1:1:1 ratio. We opted to use one ounce of each liquid in our recipe but you could decrease or increase the measurement based on the size of your glass.
Fun Fact
Sam Ross’ recipe calls for 3/4 ounce measurements as opposed to our one ounce measurements.
We like to use Four Roses in this cocktail since the Kentucky bourbon has a relatively mild flavor with hints of both vanilla and caramel. The relatively affordable bourbon mixes well in this and other cocktails. You can and should use your favorite bourbon when crafting a Paper Plane cocktail.
Discover our favorite bourbon cocktails.
Sam Ross crafts his Paper Plane cocktails with Amaro Nonino and we do the same. Made with grappa, this Italian amaro is neither cheap nor easy to find. However, don’t give up if you can’t find a bottle. Just use another amaro instead. But be aware that your cocktail may taste different from the classic version.
Using Aperol is an absolute must. The Italian liquor provides the Paper Plane’s vivid color and contributes to the drink’s bitter and herbaceous flavors. Like most people, we already had a bottle left over from crafting Aperol Spritzes at home. If you don’t have a bottle, it should be easy to find one at any liquor store.
