Raise a Glass: Paper Plane in Waterford Coupe

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The inspiration for tonight’s drink was a total accident. Mindlessly scrolling through IG and saw a post with a teaser headline for the “THE drink of 2025” and I couldn’t resist clicking through.

The Glass: Waterford Elegance Champagne Belle Coupe

Yeah yeah yeah, this glass is *technically* a champagne coupe. But finding a pair of these stunning Waterfords at Goodwill for $5 is a proud thrift moment for me and if I only used them when drinking champagne, they’d get bored just sitting in my cabinet.

I am still on the hunt for a pair of vintage coupe glasses with a more rounded shape (inspo #1 | inspo #2). And I know they’ll be waiting on the shelf for me someday soon. But until then, I’ll just have to settle for the Waterfords — such a struggle haha.

The Drink: Paper Plane

This cutie is a modern variation on the Last Word (equal parts gin, lime, maraschino liqueur + green Chartreuse). In contrast, the boozy Paper Plane is equal parts bourbon, Amaro Nonino, Aperol + lemon juice. “Both drinks strike a beautiful balance between bitter, sour and herbal notes.” – liquor.com article

This drink is a relatively new concept brought to life in 2008 by NYC bartender Sam Ross for Chicago’s The Violet Hour.

“When making the Paper Plane, Ross likes to use a slightly higher-proof bourbon—one in the 43% to 46% ABV range—as heft adds body. He also warns not to overshake the drink: You want it cold, but not watery. ” – liquor.com article

Fun fact: Ross originally used Campari instead of Aperol in the first few iterations of the drink, but says he made the right choice in switching to Aperol. But, as a Campari fan I may just have to give the original recipe a try sometime.

To make —

Add 3/4 oz bourbon, 3/4 oz Aperol, 3/4 oz Amaro Nonino and 3/4 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice into a shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled. Strain into a coupe glass.

Enjoy.

Repeat at least once for best results.