Paper Planes are my favorite cocktail, and it’s about time I finally made you one for the blog! They are supremely easy to make, extra boozy (if you’re into that thing) and sweet but not too sweet. They are like a sharper, tangy strawberry lemonade, and they are the perfect drink for summer.
Here, I mix a classic paper plane with some olive oil marinated strawberries, and I know, I know, you’re probably asking why put olive oil in a cocktail?
And for me, the reasons are multiple, but the two that stand out are it’s delicious, and it’s also really visually appealing. Olive oil (only use the good stuff here! I love Graza for this recipe) is filled with bright, peppery flavor, and it’s a known fact that pepper and strawberries pair wonderfully together. My friend even made a strawberry black pepper nut butter once, and it was divine. But here, the olive oil floats to the top of the cocktail, giving you a rich, earthy, peppery note with every bright, herbaceous, sip of the paper plane cocktail. It’s delicious.
Ingredients in a paper plane
The classic ingredients for a paper plane is equal parts Aperol, Amaro Nonino, lemon juice, and bourbon. Shake and serve over ice, it’s that simple! Here, we flex our cocktail muscles a bit and use the following:
- 2 small strawberries
- 2 teaspoons high quality olive oil
- 1 ounce Aperol
- 1 ounce Amaro Nonino
- 1 ounce bourbon of choice
- 1 ounce lemon juice
How do you make a paper plane?
For this paper plane cocktail, it’s just four simple steps:
- In a bowl, muddle the strawberries and olive oil together. Let this sit for 5 minutes to let the strawberries release their natural juices.
- In a cocktail shaker, add the aperol, amaro, bourbon and lemon juice. Fill up with ice and shake for 30 seconds.
- To a lowball glass, add the strawberries and a large ice cube. Pour the drink over top and drizzle with any remaining strawberry & olive oil left in the bowl.
- Enjoy ice cold, preferably on a hot day 🙂
And that’s it for this paper plane cocktail! This post isn’t sponsored, but if you’d give some love to my friends over at Graza, it’s always appreciated.
I hope you make this, and let me know if you enjoy!
Strawberry Paper Plane
Equipment
- 1 cocktail shaker
Ingredients
- 2 small strawberries
- 2 teaspoons high quality olive oil
- 1 ounce Aperol
- 1 ounce Amaro Nonino
- 1 ounce bourbon of choice
- 1 ounce lemon juice
Instructions
- In a bowl, muddle the strawberries and olive oil together. Let this sit for 5 minutes to let the strawberries release their natural juices.
- In a cocktail shaker, add the aperol, amaro, bourbon and lemon juice. Fill up with ice and shake for 30 seconds.
- To a lowball glass, add the strawberries and a large ice cube. Pour the drink over top and drizzle with any remaining strawberry & olive oil left in the bowl.
- Enjoy ice cold, preferably on a hot day 🙂
i’ve never had a paper plane but this looks like a cousin to an aperol spritz which i love!! the olive oil addition sounds amazing – is there a non-alcoholic substitute you’d suggest in place of the bourbon?
Oh that is tricky! I’m not sure, but I’ll research and try some bourbon ABV free brands and will let you know if I find one!
Outstanding! I had never heard of Amaro Nonino, so I had to seek it out! This drink was OUTSTANDING Justine! The olive oil gives such an interesting, full-mouth experience! I did add a splash of plain sparkling water, because I love the bubbles and found it a little sweet for my preferences! But this is coming from someone who prefers gin in plain sparkling water with lime. We loved this!
these glasses are amazing and exactly what i’m looking for!! Where are they from? Thank you in advance!
Hi! CB2 – they are amazing and pretty affordable!