PAPER PLANE

Made with Maker's Mark®

Bright and balanced with just a kiss of bitterness from the Amaro and Aperol® liqueurs, this elegant riff on the whisky sour sails to delicious, new heights.

A bottle of Maker's Mark is to the left of a coupe glass with the Maker's Mark Paper Plane cocktail. The cocktail is garnished with a lemon peel and lemons sit behind the cocktail and bottle.

About the Paper Plane

The Paper Plane cocktail may get its name from its remarkable balance – like a paper airplane that has been folded just right. The slightly bitter, lower-proof Aperol® liqueur brightens things up, bringing touches of citrus and the signature Maker’s® caramel notes forward.

Difficulty
Medium
Preparation Time
5 min
Flavor Profile
Light and Bright
Fruit Forward
Citrus

Ingredients

  • 1 part

    Maker's Mark® Bourbon

  • 1 part Aperol® liqueur

  • 1 part Amaro Nonino® Quintessentia liqueur

  • 1 part fresh lemon juice
  • Lemon zest or twist for garnish
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Preparation 
Instructions

A bottle of Maker's Mark is to the left of a coupe glass with the Maker's Mark Paper Plane cocktail. The cocktail is garnished with a lemon peel and lemons sit behind the cocktail and bottle.
  • Step 1
    Mix all ingredients
    Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice.
  • Step 2
    Shake it all up
    Shake for 15 to 20 seconds.
  • Step 3
    Strain carefully
    Double strain into a coupe glass.
  • Step 4
    Aromatize with citrus
    Garnish with lemon zest or a twist.
A bottle of Maker's Mark bourbon whisky behind a tall glass with a Bourbon Bloody Mary over ice and a pickle, celery, and lime garnish. A small bowl of lime slices is to the left.

TIPS FOR A GREAT  
Paper Plane

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Twice as nice

Double straining, or fine straining, is exactly as it sounds. Once you're done shaking your drink, place your Hawthorne strainer over the mouth of the shaker. Hold your mesh strainer over your serving glass, pour the cocktail out of the tin and through the mesh. This will ensure your drink’s consistency.

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Know your part(s)

“1 part” is the basis for how cocktail ingredients are measured. For this cocktail, all measurements are equal – or one part each. A “1/2 part” would mean dividing by 2. “2 parts” would mean multiplying by 2. And so on.

Red icon on a cream-colored background, representing a coupe glass.

Couped up

Coupe glasses make an elegant statement when serving drinks like sours, Martinis and sparkling wine cocktails. Created in the 1660s for Champagne, they were not, as legend would have it, designed around the shape of Marie Antoinette’s bosom.

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Know your amaro

If you can’t find Amaro Nonino® Quintessentia liqueur, its Sicilian cousin, Averna®, is a nice sub for your amaro cocktails. You may already know Aperol® and its stronger counterpart, Campari®. Other interesting Amari have a cola-esque profile, while some are more herbal. Like Fernet-Branca and Cynar®, which is made with artichoke.

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Maker's Mark®

Sweet with balance of oak, vanilla and fruity essences 

A photo of the classic Maker's Mark bourbon whisky bottle.
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