Broken Plane Cocktail

It’s no secret that I love a Paper Plane cocktail, and this Broken Plane is my new variation on it, and perfect for New Year’s Eve! Or any time you’re celebrating, really. The Broken Plane came about by making some slight tweaks and variations from a Paper Plane, and the result is something that tastes slightly grapefruit-y, but with no grapefruit, and no added juices or sugars. In a Paper Plane, the recipe uses bourbon and Aperol, here I swapped those for gin and St. Germain (or any elderflower liqueur) and honestly, the result is just perfect.

Serve it chilled with a slanted ice cube (I’ll tell you more about how to make those below) and it’s a classy, boozy and refreshing option for New Year’s Eve, and the color is also pretty spectacular!

Now, when I first developed this Broken Plane recipe, I tried it with Il Moscato from Grappa Nonino, the results were good, but a little harsh on the alcohol notes, so to make this a more subtle, sweeter cocktail, I subbed in the classic (and award-winning!) Amaro Nonino Quintessentia® from the same company. Let me just say that using Amaro Nonino is almost crucial. It gives the drink its color and makes it a pleasurable, lightly sweet drink, instead of a lemony, sharp and boozy cocktail. Just trust me on this one, it’s expensive but worth it!

How to make slanted ice for your New Year’s Eve cocktails

Now we are on to my favorite part – the slanted ice. It’s super easy to do, and you can probably already see the concept from the photo, but what you are doing is freezing water in a glass while the glass is balanced on its side, making the ice slanted and inserted in the glass!

I like to do this by using a plate with a cloth towel folded on one side or a large silicon ice cube maker. I prop my glasses on their sides at a 45° angle, then slowly pour the water in so that it is slanted in the glass. Then I carefully put everything into the freezer and let the ice cubes freeze for 2-3 hours. The less time means the clearer the ice, but it’s good to play it safe.

This does the dual task of chilling your glass and making your ice cubes, and it’s a great option for this cocktail, which is best served icy cold.

A note on substitutions for the Broken Plane cocktail

While these alcohols might be a special purchase, I definitely encourage using the ones I list in the recipe. I have tested and tried a few subs, but nothing creates the exact flavor that makes a Broken Plane so perfect in my opinion!

It’s a pretty boozy drink, with very few ingredients, so while I apologize that there aren’t any substitutes for any ingredients, I know that the purchase of these beverages won’t go to waste. You’ll be making this cocktail again, I promise.

Looking for other cocktail recipes?

Here are a few of my favorites, and don’t worry, there are more to come for this NYE holiday!

Now enough about me and my new favorite cocktail (hellooooo Broken Plane!), the full recipe is below!

If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.

And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3

Watch the recipe here

The video may not fully represent the recipe. For best results, follow the instructions as written.