Bartender Joaquín Simó was already tinkering with a variation on the Last Word cocktail when he first sampled a Paper Plane at Milk & Honey. The Sam Ross creation featured equal parts bourbon, Aperol, lemon juice, and Amaro Nonino, and was itself a riff on the Last Word.
“Trying the Paper Plane for the first time made me rethink the possible candidates for a maraschino liqueur substitute, as I had been stuck in an initial rut of single-flavor liqueurs—curaçao, gentian, et cetera,” Simó explained. “I turned my attention to more complex liqueurs like Aperol, Campari, Pimm’s, Cynar, and Montenegro. The Aperol–yellow Chartreuse marriage was a big hit, and from there, it was just finding the right mezcal.”
The Naked and Famous, which debuted in 2011, has done well by its mentor drink. It is by far the most famous variation on the Paper Plane.
If you can, please use Del Maguey Chichicapa in this cocktail. It is the original mezcal used in the recipe. Though on the expensive side, it makes a big difference in the taste of the drink.
This recipe was excerpted from ‘Modern Classic Cocktails’ by Robert Simonson. Buy the full book on Amazon.
Recipe information
Total Time
2 minutes
Yield
Makes 1 cocktail
Ingredients
Preparation
Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker half-filled with ice. Shake until chilled, about 15 seconds. Strain into a chilled coupe.
Recipe notes
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