Gift Guide
Bourbon Recipe
Paper Plane
A modern twist on the Last Word, this cocktail is a perfectly balanced combination of sour, sweet and herbal flavors.
Time to make: 3 minutesServes: 1*
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- Words by
- Gina Pace
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- David Chow
- Developed by
- Gina Pace
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.
Ingredients
- 0.75 oz. Blade and Bow Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
- 0.75 oz. Grappa-Based Amaro
- 0.75 oz. Light Italian Bitter Aperitif
- 0.75 oz. Lemon Juice
- Lemon Twist Garnish
- *Approximate serving size is 1.7 servings. Please enjoy responsibly.
Directions
- 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.
- Combine bourbon, light Italian bitter aperitif and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker with ice.
- Shake until combined and strain into a coupe glass.
- Twist the lemon peel over the drink to express the oils, then add as garnish.