For only the second time in the past eleven months we had two of our friends over for dinner on Valentine's Day. To say I was excited for a 'party of four' gathering would be an understatement. The anticipation of actually making and sharing a meal with friends was akin to awaiting the arrival of a favorite childhood holiday. For five glorious hours, the reality of the world we currently live in, was temporarily suspended as life actually felt normal. Next to spending a week in Colorado this past September, I don't think my spirit ever felt happier. Who would have ever imagined a simple dinner with friends could bring the same kind of joy felt while spending time in one's 'happy' place. If I have learned anything in the past year, it has been appreciating the seemingly simple things. Sharing a meal, going on a hike, being able to run, and/or enjoying an outdoor coffee with friends are the kinds of things I once took for granted. Now they are nothing less than treasured occasions. If only there could be more of them.
Ever since our dinner plans were confirmed, I had been planning everything from the table setting, to the flowers (orchids and tulips), to the menu, to the favors (it was Valentine's Day after all), to the wine (an insane bottle of 2015 Austin Hope Paso Robles), to the 'house' cocktail. The meticulous attention to detail for this Valentine's Day dinner would rival a NASA space mission, overseeing a $200 million dollar budget, or embarking on a multi-million dollar public building project. Let's just suffice to say this pandemic has, for better or worse, changed me. A year ago I would have never even thought to make a 'signature' cocktail when having friends for dinner. Now, I could't imagine not having one. Who knows when we will be able to have our next dinner party. But one thing is for certain. The 'signature house' cocktail is definitely going to be a Paper Plane. It seriously might be one of the best cocktails to have ever been created. Says the girl who in recent years has become a Bourbon lover with enough knowledge to make her dangerous.
As far as cocktails go, the Paper Plane is a relative new one. First served in the Chicago bar "The Violet Hour", known for its' artisanal cocktail, it was created in either the summer of 2007 or sometime in 2008 by New York bartender Sam Ross. With a name inspired by the song "Paper Planes" by M.I.A., the Paper Plane is considered to be a slight riff on the pre-Prohibition cocktail "The Last Word" (made with equal parts cocktail made with gin, lime, maraschino liqueur and Chartreuse). The first rendition of this bright orange cocktail was made with equal parts freshly squeezed lemon juice (the citrus element), bourbon (the spirit), Amaro Nonino (the herbal element) and Campari. But the bitterness of the Campari was almost immediately replaced with the slightly sweeter Aperol. The result is a classic cocktail having a perfect balance of bitter, sour, sweet, and herbal notes.
If have never heard of the Paper Plane cocktail before, it's possible you have not heard of the Italian liqueur Amaro Nonino either. Made from a base of grappa, Amaro Nonino includes notes of botanicals, alpine herbs, and orange peel. Flavorwise is has notes of sweet and burnt orange, cinnamon, and a hint of burnt caramel. When blended with equal parts of freshly squeezed lemon juice, bourbon, and Aperol, it is a cocktail that goes down really, really, really easy.
When making a Bourbon cocktail, save your top-shelf, sipping bourbons. Bourbons like Blanton's, Pappy Van Winkle, or Basil Hayden are best enjoyed when served neat or maybe over ice. For the Paper Plane you want to use a slightly higher proof, good quality bourbon. One with a 43-46% ABV range will add the kind of heft to this cocktail to give it the perfect amount of body. I used the 10 year old Russell's Reserve Bourbon Whiskey, a small batch bourbon distilled by Wild Turkey, to bring some caramel, spicy, slightly sweet flavor to the Paper Plane.
Serve the Paper Plane ice cold. Add equal parts of freshly squeezed lemon juice, bourbon, amaro nonino, and aperol to a shaker. Add 10-12 ice cubes and shake energetically for just 15-20 seconds. You definitely don't want to over shake this cocktail or allow the ice to melt. Once shaken, immediately strain and pour into a coupe glass. The stemmed, shallow, broad-bowl coupe glasses are best for serving cocktails served without ice. Which makes it the best, most perfect, sexiest choice for Paper Planes.
The originally created cocktail didn't have a garnish (unless you consider a homemade paper plane one). But adding a peel of orange ties all of the ingredients together in both a flavorful and symbolic kind of way.
If you are looking for a delicious, refreshing Bourbon based cocktail having incredible flavor complexity, this Paper Plane is for you. If you are new to the Bourbon cocktail world or an Old-Fashioned aficionado, the Paper Plane may be the cocktail destined to open your world up to a whole new cocktail drinking experience. This quite possibly might replace the Pisco Sour and Mint Mojito as the house cocktail here. No, let's make that a definitely. Because this the Paper Plane is nothing short of cocktail perfection.
Recipe
Paper Plane Cocktail
Makes two 3 ounce cocktails or one perfect 6 ounce cocktail
Ingredients
1 1/2 ounces freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 ounces Amaro Nonino
1 1/2 ounces Aperol
1 1/2 ounces Bourbon (43-48% ABV) See Notes.
Optional garnish: Orange peel or slice of an orange
Directions
1. Add the equal amounts of lemon juice, Amaro Nonino, Aperol and Bourbon to a cocktail shaker.
2. Add in 10-15 ice cubes. Shake energetically for 15-20 seconds. Immediately strain and pour into a coupe glass.
3. Garnish with an orange peel, orange slice or homemade paper plane.
4. Sit back and savor a cocktail having incredible flavor complexity.
Notes: (1) I used Russell's Reserve Bourbon Whiskey, (45% ALC/VOL, 90 Proof) as I am a big fan of small batch bourbons. But I would also recommend Breckinridge Bourbon Whiskey (43% ALC/VOL or 86 Proof), one having complex flavors that linger on your tongue. (2) You can find Amaro Nonino at any good quality liqueur store. A little expensive but it's worth every penny. (3) I bought these coupe glasses at Crate & Barrel.
