Summer-Worthy Broken Plane Cocktail Recipe

For easy sipping, we've taken the emblematic Paper Plane cocktail and given it a refreshing, sweet spin in our summer-worthy Broken Plane cocktail recipe. With a gin-forward profile and complementary herbaceous flavors, this cocktail manages to be both refreshing and awakening to the palate.

According to Ksenia Prints of At the Immigrant's Table, the Paper Plane cocktail is an American darling that is beloved by bartenders across the country, and traditionally features bourbon, lemon juice, Aperol, and Amaro Nonino. In this popular new variation, we keep the balanced sweet, bitter, and citrusy profile of the original, but add another aromatic layer with elderflower liqueur and herb garnishes.

This Broken Plane cocktail recipe is ideal for warm weather because it's crisp, easy to prepare, and visually captivating. Its bright chartreuse color catches the eye and promises to put a twist on what otherwise could have been a dull evening. So don't be afraid to give this variation a spin — you just might discover a new favorite.

To make this sweet, bitter, tart and refreshing cocktail, you'll need equal quantities of London dry gin, elderflower liqueur, Amaro Nonino, and a bit of fresh lemon juice and orange bitters. For garnish, we'll use a lemon twist, a fresh thyme sprig, and a lemon verbena leaf.

Add ice to a shaker.

Combine the gin, elderflower liqueur, Amaro Nonino, lemon juice, and orange bitters in a shaker with the ice.

Shake vigorously for 15 seconds.

Strain the drink into a chilled coupe glass.

Garnish with a lemon twist, fresh thyme sprig, and a lemon verbena leaf.

Serve the broken paper plane cocktail.

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This cocktail is itself a variation on a classic, so why not play around with even more variations? One easy change is to experiment with different types of gin. This recipe uses London Dry Gin, which has a spiced, juniper-forward dry profile. You could switch it up with a New American gin, also known as New Western or Contemporary gin. Those put forth other botanicals while toning down the juniper, which would go well with the thyme and lemon verbena garnish. A more fruity flavored gin may also give it a nice profile.

Another change is a little more daring, and that's to sub one of the drink's main building blocks, St. Germain liqueur, for another floral liqueur, like rose, violet, or lavender. You can also use lime in place of lemon, which would give the drink even more punch. Finally, changing up the garnish for edible flowers, rosemary, or a dehydrated citrus wheel would also echo the aroma and presentation of the drink, while toning down the herbal qualities.

Amaro Nonino is one of the quintessential components in a Paper Plane, so it makes sense it was included in this Broken Plane cocktail as well. Like all types of amari, which mean "bitter liqueurs" in Italian, Amaro Nonino is a liqueur that takes a bunch of herbs, barks, citrus peel, and more, and macerates them all in liquor for a long period of time. Its exact combination is a closely guarded secret, but it's very aromatic, less bitter, and less sweet than other variations, making it perfect as an ingredient or for drinking on its own.

In this cocktail, Amaro Nonino provides the bitterness that is so characteristic of this cocktail family, balancing out the sweetness of elderflower liqueur and the acidity of the lemon juice. Without it, the drink would be too sweet and sour, and lose the depth that makes it so interesting. You could try another amaro instead, as each one brings a different variation to the table. Averna or Montenegro are two other fine choices.

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