“I fly like paper, get high like planes,” sings the Sri Lankan-by-way-of-England rapper M.I.A. in the rager of a song she wrote almost two decades ago. It still sounds pretty fresh after all this time, as does the drink named for it and born the year after its release.
The Paper Plane cocktail — equal parts bourbon, Nonino amaro, Aperol and lemon juice — is a riff on pre-Prohibition sour the Last Word, created by renowned barman Sam Ross for famed Chicago cocktail den The Violet Hour. But great drinks, like great songs, can’t be sequestered to a single place, and that recipe has flown far and beyond its Midwestern origins, just like the London-born song it was named for.
Lately, this beautifully balanced clever cocktail has been having a bit of a moment all over again. And La Goulue Sur Mer bartender Will Scarlett wanted to give flight to a more summery version of it, replacing the requisite whiskey with a rich South American rum.
La Goulue Sur Mer barkeep Will Scarlett brings the Paper Plane into the summer season by swapping out the usual bourbon for Venezuelan Diplomatico rum. (Photo credit: Doug Young)
“We use the Diplomatico Rum for its flavor. It’s a tastier, more lively rum,” says Scarlett. “The cocktail menu is always seasonal and always changing with current demands, making our drink list unique.”
Head to La Gouloue Sur Mer (210 Hampton Road, Southampton, 631-259-2360) to have Scarlett mix one up for you. Otherwise, the recipe below is ready for takeoff when you are…
Lost Plane
Ingredients
- 1/4 oz Diplomatico Rum
- 1/4 oz Aperol
- 1/4 oz Amaro Nonino
- 1/4 oz lemon juice
- 1 lemon twist
Directions
- Combine all ingredients in cocktail shaker with ice.
- Shake until well-chilled, about 10 to 15 seconds.
- Strain into a chilled coupe glass and garnish with the lemon twist. Cheers!
