The Paper Plane Cocktail Is Happy Hour Perfection
If you’ve been here for a while, you know that a paper plane cocktail is part of my weekly routine. Every Friday when happy hour rolls around, I instinctively reach for bourbon, aperol, amaro nonino, and a fresh lemon to make my all-time favorite drink! It’s essentially a modern take on a whiskey sour.
Shaken over ice, the Paper Plane delivers refreshing citrus and subtle orange bitterness that tames the bourbon, rounded by sweet‑tart amaro and fresh lemon.
To sum it up: paper plane cocktails are incredibly well balanced and super easy to drink. One sip of this modern classic and you’ll be plotting your second drink in no time!
Trust my judgment with cocktails? Perfect. If you like refreshing, balanced flavors in cocktail recipes, give my crowd-pleasing classic margarita, raspberry-speckled Clover Club gin sour, or this light and fresh pomegranate tequila cosmo a try next!
Why You’ll Fall In Love With This Drink
- Balanced to perfection — sweet, sour, bitter, and boozy in one elegant package.
- Four ingredients, five minutes — bar-cart friendly and weeknight easy (trust me, I’d know. 😂)
- A year round favorite — super refreshing on a hot summer day, but perfect shaken up at holiday happy hours as well.
- Batch-able — scales beautifully for parties (details below!)
Quick ingredient overview: to make one drink, you’ll need 1½ ounces each of your favorite bourbon, Aperol (it’s sweeter than Campari), Amaro Nonino (made from Grapa and infused with herbs and citrus), and fresh lemon juice–typically one medium lemon per drink.
Paper Plane Cocktail Origins
Australian bartender Sam Ross created the Paper Plane for Chicago’s craft-cocktail bar, The Violet Hour, in 2007 (the year I turned 21… clearly this cocktail and I were meant to be!). Inspired by the equal-parts Last Word (gin, green Chartreuse, maraschino, lime), Ross swapped in bourbon, Aperol, Amaro Nonino, and lemon for a bittersweet spin.
A menu typo briefly dubbed it the “Paper Airplane,” but Ross confirmed the intended name is Paper Plane. Fun fact: Ross also invented the smoky-ginger Penicillin cocktail, a scotch-based whiskey sour. The world is a better place because of you, Sam!
Amaro Nonino vs Amaro Montenegro
Amaro Nonino is a barrel-aged Italian amaro digestif with a grappa base–bitter-sweet, scented with orange zest and thyme, and absolutely essential making a Paper Plane (no real substitute). It’s also lovely on the rocks with a splash of seltzer and a twist of citrus (lemon, orange, or grapefruit).
Skip Amaro Montenegro here– it’s 40+ floral botanicals and sweet cinnamon-clove notes would throw the Paper Plane off balance. (I should note that my husband wholeheartedly disagrees and actually really likes the flavor that amaro montenegro brings to the drink. Fine, just know that it does not taste like a classic paper plane. 🤷🏻♀️)
Try using Amaro Montenegro in this cocktail instead.
What is Aperol?
Aperol is an Italian apértif of citrus, herbs, and roots, prized for its vivid orange hue and vanilla-tinged bittersweet flavor–milder than the darker, more bitter Campari.
Quick note: An apéritif is a light, appetite‑stimulating drink served before a meal, whereas a digestif is usually richer and enjoyed afterward to aid digestion.
Expert Tips
After more than a decade of making this cocktail at home (a point of pride, I assure you), here are my best tips:
- Use a mid-shelf 90-proof bourbon–enough backbone without overpowering the citrus.
- Fresh lemon juice only; bottled lemon juice mutes the cocktail.
- For bar-quality dilution, go heavy on ice and shake vigorously.
- Chill the glass so the froth holds a thin, elegant cap on top–this is my favorite thing ever.
- Shake until the shaker is almost too cold to hold—proper aeration gives the cocktail its silky texture.
Best Bourbon To Use
I categorize bourbon into the following two categories: sipping bourbon or mixer.
A smooth, mid‑range bourbon (think 90 proof Four Roses, Woodford Reserve, or Bulleit.) complements the amaro’s spice without overpowering the cocktail (or sacrificing your premium stash).
Top-shelf, higher-proof bourbons such as Basil Hayden’s or Michter’s are best for sipping neat (a single liquor served without being chilled or mixed) or on the rocks (single liquor poured over ice cubes).
Batch For A Crowd
For 8 drinks, combine 12oz each bourbon, Aperol, and Amaro Nonino. Keep chilled; shake individual portions with 1½ oz lemon juice and ice, then strain into coupe glasses (the quintessential favorite for serving up paper planes, though in a pinch a martini glass will work too).
My favorite coupe glasses are available from Crate & Barrel and are surprisingly affordable. One serving makes enough to fill the coupe glass to the tippy top!
Other Cocktails To Enjoy
Bourbon cocktails to try next: Old Fashioned cocktail (never out of style! 💁🏻♀️), a Boulevardier, the whiskey sour, or in cold months perhaps a Hot Toddy–this one is for people who like honey! Or how about a Blood Orange Paper Plane?
Amaro cocktails to try next: The Charming Foxhole cocktail, the Kentuckiano cocktail, or check out this list of assorted after dinner amaro cocktails.
Aperol cocktails to try next: I have to start with Italy’s most popular cocktail, the Aperol Spritz, but you can never go wrong with aperol and soda. Refined and simple.
I know that dozens of you who have followed me for years have come to love and appreciate this cocktail as well. If you give this Paper Plane cocktail a try, I’d be so appreciative if you could leave a review and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below letting me know what you think!
And make sure to sign up for our newsletter and follow along on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, and Facebook for more Well Seasoned recipes! Don’t forget to tag us on social channels when you make a recipe at #wellseasonedstudio and upload your photos below! We love seeing what you’re up to in the kitchen!
Tell Us What You Think!
If you make this recipe, don’t forget to leave a review and rating—we value your feedback and it helps us keep creating (and sharing!) free recipes. Your support means the world!
Rate this Recipe
4-Ingredient Paper Plane Cocktail (Ari’s Favorite Drink!)
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ½ oz bourbon, such as Four Roses, Bulleit, or Woodfood Reserve
- 1 ½ oz aperol
- 1 ½ oz amaro nonino
- 1 ½ oz fresh lemon juice, about 1 lemon
Instructions
- Shake it up. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, then pour in all ingredients. Secure the lid on top, then shake vigorously for 15 – 20 seconds. Strain and pour the cocktail into a coupe glass. Enjoy!
Notes
- You can double the recipe to make 2 cocktails, but any more than that will likely not fit into a cocktail shaker.
- Make a large batch. For 8 drinks, combine 12oz each bourbon, Aperol, and Amaro Nonino. Keep chilled; shake individual portions with 1½ oz lemon juice and ice, then strain into coupe glasses.
Best new cocktail in town. Thank you for sharing this. So glad you did because we make it weekly now. Yay for beautiful photos too Ari. Thank you.
Long live the Paper Plane! Time to stock up on more nonino… cheers! xo, Ari
Just go make this, like now. I would normally see this drink and think, oh hell no because I do not like three out of the four ingredients. However, I have all of these on hand for inlaws, so I figured why the heck not? At least I’ll be drunk afterwards, right? Well lucky for me, this was delicious AND I was drunk afterwards! So, win/win, right? Heck yes. Full disclosure: I’m a lightweight. I would encourage you to pair this with some food. This will now be on regular rotation!
What a winning combination and glowing review hah!! Glad this has made it to the repeat cocktail list! xo, Ari
Best thing to come out of the pandemic – we now make this every weekend as well! A perfect cocktail in every way – refreshing, balanced and beautiful to look at. Thank you for introducing it to us!
Agree to agree! Cheers to many more paper planes!! xo, Ari
Thanks for our new favorite cocktail! Friday nights can’t come fast enough around here these days! So easy to make and so refreshing, perfect start to the weekend!
Not enough words to say how much I love this cocktail, but you already knew that! CHEERS!! xo, Ari
THis cocktail was delish!! and refreshing for spring/summer. However I accidentally made a double batch because I used a shot glass which I didn’t know was an 1.5oz measure. not a bad thing at all, just made two cocktails and it was hard for me to shake in my mason jar because there was too much liquor! haha never a bad thing really!! right Ari?? – Elia@feedyoursister
You know this is my go-to, and I’m so glad you were finally able to try it! Cheers to your double batch! xo, Ari
I am not cocktail person. Watching Ari’s instagram stories where she was making this cocktail many time I wanted to try too. And OMG! Delicious and so easy to make! This is perfect for holiday season or all year around! I am sure I will making this cocktail again and again. Thank you for this recipe!
The most well loved cocktail by everyone I know! Even people who don’t drink them regularly enjoy a good paper plane. Thanks for the review! xo, Ari
We finished off our aperol and amaro nonino last day (? I think?) and now it’s spring and for my mid-April birthday I wanted paper planes again! Seriously such a good cocktail, the perfect combination of sweet and tart, and it packs a punch! Can’t wait to enjoy these again all spring and dinner!
Happy birthday, sweet Melissa!! Paper Planes are the best way to celebrate for sure. Cheers! xo, Ari