Name: Paper Plane
Total time: 4 min
Cuisine: Cocktail
Ingredients: 22.5 ml Bourbon whiskey; 22.5 ml Amaro (e.g. Nonino); 22.5 ml Orange-red aperitivo; 22.5 ml Lemon juice

Paper Plane
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Glass:

Photographed in an Urban Bar Retro Optic Coupette 15cl

Ingredients:
³⁄₄ fl oz	Bourbon whiskey
³⁄₄ fl oz	Amaro Nonino Quintessentia
³⁄₄ fl oz	Bittersweet orange-red aperitivo
³⁄₄ fl oz	Lemon juice (freshly squeezed)

Read about cocktail measures and measuring

Prepare:

Select and pre-chill a COUPE GLASS.
Prepare garnish of miniature paper plane skewered or pegged to rim (&/or lemon zest twist).

How to make:

SHAKE all ingredients with ice.
FINE STRAIN into chilled glass.

Garnish:

Garnish with miniature paper plane skewered or pegged to rim (&/or lemon zest twist).

Strength & taste guide:

No alcohol

Medium

Boozy

Sweet

Medium

Dry/sour

More cocktails with similar strength and taste profile

Review:

Bittersweet with underlying bourbon character and lemon zestiness.

View readers' comments

Variations/similar cocktails:

Based on straight rye whiskey rather than bourbon.
20 best Last Word variations

History:

A riff on the Last Word created in 2007 by Sam Ross for The Violet Hour in Chicago, Illinois. He first made it with Amaro Nonino Quintessentia and Campari but switched Campari out for a less bitter aperitivo liqueur soon after creating the cocktail when he started making it at New York's Milk & Honey. Sam says, "This cocktail is named after the M.I.A. track that was blasting on repeat the summer we worked on the drink."

More cocktails by Sam Ross

Nutrition:

One serving of Paper Plane contains 168 calories

Alcohol content:

1.2 standard drinks
16.73% alc./vol. (33.46° proof)
16.2 grams of pure alcohol

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Difford’s Guide remains free-to-use thanks to the support of the brands in green above. Values stated for alcohol and calorie content, and number of drinks an ingredient makes should be considered approximate.

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Showing 10 of 78 comments for Paper Plane.
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Emily Harwell

18th May at 00:47

If you don’t like or can’t have bourbon, Absaroka Double Cask Gin 49 is a WONDERFUL alternative. I’m sure other barrel aged gins would be good. Absaroka is just very mellow and perfect for this cocktail.

Andre Derailleur

13th May at 08:16

So Antoni makes a point: how does this "riff" have no ingredients in common with the 'Last Word" Is it just the proportions, because I am sure we could name dozens of other drinks with the same proportions.

Antoni Baltar

8th May at 19:51

First of all, I completely disagree: THIS IS NOT a Last Word riff. Are we saying that every single cocktail that has 4 ingredients in equal proportions, one of them lime/lemon juice, other one a strong spirit, is a Last Word riff? DEFFINITELY NOT. This one is a very different cocktail. In my (modest) opinion, what make this drink different is the use of two amari. Said this, I didn't have Nonino in hand, and a populr AI suggested Averna. Moreover, it suggested different proportions and bitters. So I went with :
1.75 oz bourbon (Buffalo Trace)
1.25 oz Aperol
1 oz Averna
1 oz lemon juice
2 dashes of Regan's bitters ( its election over Angostura orange, Scrappy's, Fee Brothers, Fee Brothers Gin Barrel Aged, Bitter Truth)
Excellent cocktail! And please, I'm a Last Word lover, and this cocktail has anything in common at all. Love U all, cocktail lovers

Simon Sedgley

13th May at 05:31

Antoni, the recipe has just the one (not two) amaro. And to our taste, there is really no satisfactory substitute for Nonino Quintessentia. If pushed hard, we might substitute Amaro Nardini or, at a pinch, Ramazzotti but not the Sicilian Averna. While the comments here on this website are proof perfect that discerning drinkers abound, there is no such thing as a discerning AI. Better to trust to trial and error with your own taste buds. Cheers.

Bogdan Rabanca

27th February at 22:32

i was wondering is there a difference between a bittersweet aperitif and a vermouth amaro? or can i sub one for the other? they sound like they are both wine based and a little bitter.

Simon Difford

28th February at 08:30

They are quite different ingredients and not interchangeable. Ingredient names in our recipes are hyperlinks to more information.

Werd Bmocsil

21st October 2025 at 01:34

Needed something to calm my nerves for Game 7 of the ALCS.
It's just crazy how good this easy drink is.
Next time I'll try subbing Amer Picon for Amaro Nonino, just because.

Gareth Hives

12th October 2025 at 14:32

I just wanted to say a massive 'brilliant, at last, well done ! ' to Diffords for expanding the comments section. It makes such a difference, I think you'll find people spend a lot more time on the site with access to all the recent chats like that. Great job.

I also wanted to say you can't really have one favourite drink, but if I was put on the spot I think it would have to be this. Just superb. I've tried all sorts of variations but keep coming back to the original. Pure class.

Greg Duerksen

5th January at 06:54

This cocktail is definitely my go to - for all cocktail enthusiasts and purists, as well as anyone new to the art and craft of cocktail culture. It’s not too boozy, not too sweet, not too bitter, and not too acidic, and yet somehow all of those four flavors are present when you sip it. Every palate wins with this cocktail.

Simon Difford

12th October 2025 at 17:29

Many thanks for your kind words and support. We’ve more. Improvements on the way.

A J Wilson

20th September 2025 at 11:14

Love a Paper Plane as-is, but felt obliged to try my own Mr. Potato Head variation. Because this one goes dark, I’m calling it a Stealth Bomber:
0.75oz Wild Turkey 101 (50.5% - I think I would bump to 1oz if using regular strength bourbon)
0.75oz Zucca
0.75oz Montenegro
0.75oz lemon juice
Express a grapefruit swath over the top and discard.

Bocman

19th September 2025 at 12:29

I appreciate how you can savor each ingredient in this cocktail; it’s enjoyable! 🍸

Gareth Hives

24th August 2025 at 16:25

Starting to work my way through the ‘proper’ classics at the moment, having a break from creating new stuff or making ‘bar’ classics for friends. This might have just shot straight to the top of my list. We prefer sour cocktails rather than anything sweet or creamy, if you also do and haven’t made one of these, go for it . It genuinely made me smile and take a deep stress relieving breath in as I drank it. This one is good for your mind, body and soul. Thank you.

Kenny Hyland

30th July 2025 at 02:40

As a gin lover, I really enjoy a Broken Plane:

0.75 oz Hendrick’s Gin
0.75 oz Drillaud Elderflower Liqueur
0.75 oz Amaro Nonino Quintessentia
0.75 oz fresh Lemon juice

Shake hard, double strain, serve up

Simon Sedgley

13th February at 14:14

Absolutely delicious...thanks for the tip.

Greg Duerksen

5th January at 06:57

I like the name, I’ll give this one a try for sure! Do you know provenance of this drink or is it your own?

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