modern classic · shaken
Paper Plane recipe
Sam Ross's equal-parts modern classic. Sour, bitter, boozy.
A Paper Plane is 22.5 ml (21.2 g) Bourbon, 22.5 ml (23.4 g) Aperol, 22.5 ml (24.5 g) Amaretto and 22.5 ml (23.2 g) Fresh Lemon Juice, shaken and served in a coupe. It pours to about 90 ml before ice, at roughly 18.8% ABV. Weighing the ingredients instead of measuring them is what keeps the balance identical from one round to the next.
- Glasscoupe
- Methodshaken
- Pour volume90 ml
- Strength (est.)18.8% ABV
- Time4 min
Paper Plane ingredients — in millilitres and grams
Grams are what the PourPilot coaster actually targets. They are not the same as the millilitres: a spirit is lighter than water, a syrup is heavier, so 30 ml of one is never 30 g. The right-hand column is the density we use, in grams per millilitre.
| Ingredient | Volume | Weight | g/ml | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bourbon | 22.5 ml | 21.2 g | 0.94 | Weighed by the coaster |
| Aperol | 22.5 ml | 23.4 g | 1.04 | Weighed by the coaster |
| Amaretto | 22.5 ml | 24.5 g | 1.09 | Weighed by the coaster |
| Fresh Lemon Juice | 22.5 ml | 23.2 g | 1.03 | Weighed by the coaster |
How to make a Paper Plane
- Set your coupe on the scale (or on the PourPilot coaster) and zero it. Every measurement below is given in millilitres and in grams, so you can use either.
- Add Bourbon, Aperol, Amaretto and Fresh Lemon Juice to a shaker, weighing each ingredient rather than eyeballing a jigger.
- Fill with ice and shake hard for 12–15 seconds.
- Double-strain into a chilled coupe.
Paper Plane: the questions people actually ask
How strong is a Paper Plane?
Roughly 18.8% ABV as poured, before the ice dilutes it — typically another 15–25% water by the time you finish stirring or shaking. Medium strength. About the same as a fortified wine, poured short.
What glass should a Paper Plane be served in?
A coupe. Chill it first — a room-temperature stemmed glass will undo half the work you just did in the mixing tin.
Can I make a Paper Plane without a jigger?
Yes — that is what the gram column is for. Put the glass or tin on a kitchen scale, zero it, and pour to the weight. It is more accurate than a jigger because nothing is left clinging to the inside of the measure. The PourPilot coaster does the same thing without you having to watch a display: it lights up as you approach the target and tells you when to stop.
If you like the Paper Plane
Whisky Sour
Bourbon, lemon, sugar, egg white for foam. Dry shake first.
New York Sour
A whiskey sour crowned with a float of red wine.
Penicillin
Sam Ross again. Scotch, honey, lemon, ginger. Shake and strain.
John Collins
The whiskey Collins — bourbon, lemon and sugar, topped with soda.
Old Fashioned
The original cocktail. Whiskey, sugar, bitters.
Boulevardier
Bourbon instead of gin. The Negroni's brooding American cousin.