Whisky & Ember recipe 01 · The origin cocktail

Paper Plane

Bright citrus, bittersweet depth, and a whisky base.

By George Logue

Serves: 1
Time: About 5 minutes, with the glass already chilled
Glass: Chilled coupe
Flavour: Citrus / bittersweet / gently herbal

The build

Tools for this drink

Ingredients

ml	oz	Ingredient
30 ml	1 oz	Bourbon
30 ml	1 oz	Aperol
30 ml	1 oz	Amaro Nonino
30 ml	1 oz	Fresh lemon juice

For a bourbon-like Canadian rebuild, compare corn-led flavour, oak and ABV. Start at 30 ml. Bottle notes are in What you can change.

Method

Add all four ingredients to a shaker with ice.
Shake for 10 to 12 seconds.
Double strain into a chilled coupe.
Serve up. No garnish.

Notes and tips

Use fresh lemon and a chilled glass.
Measure the equal parts, then shake and double strain to keep ice shards out of the finished drink. Double straining means pouring through the Hawthorne strainer on the tin and a fine-mesh strainer held over the glass.

Pair with

Goat cheese on crisp toast

Creamy cheese gives the lemon’s acidity something rich to meet. Crisp toast adds texture contrast without competing with the drink’s bittersweet character.

Lightly grilled prawns with lemon

Lemon creates an aromatic bridge between glass and plate. Keep the char gentle and the seasoning restrained so the prawns stay the centre of the bite.

Ingredients follow the classic recipe [1]. Shake time and double straining are our serving choices.

The story

“The Paper Plane was my go-to drink. Equal parts bourbon, Aperol, Amaro Nonino and lemon. It was a recipe I could return to without making a project of it: four measures, a shaker, a chilled glass.”

“Then, in March 2025, American bourbon came off Ontario’s LCBO shelves. [5] I was not looking to make a statement. I wanted to make my drink.”
George Logue, from Five Classics, Rebuilt

More of the story

Sam Ross is credited with the Paper Plane [2], and the IBA build is equal parts bourbon, Aperol, Amaro Nonino and fresh lemon [1]. Bourbon’s identity includes a mash of at least 51% corn and storage in charred new oak [4]. Those requirements gave the Canadian whisky search a direction.

“The search started with what made bourbon useful in that drink: its corn base, oak character and perceived sweetness. Bottling strength mattered, too. I looked for Canadian whiskies that could carry those qualities through the lemon and liqueurs. BEARFACE Triple Oak was my first good find. Other bottles worked less well. The country on the label was never enough.”
George Logue

Tasting notes and why it works

Look

An amber-orange drink served up in a coupe, with no garnish. The double strain keeps ice shards off the surface.

Smell

Lemon and bitter orange first, with a gentle herbal note behind them.

Taste

Bright citrus up front, then bittersweet orange and herbs. With a corn-led whisky, vanilla, caramel and rounded oak give the lemon and bitter orange a softer landing. With a rye-led whisky, expect pepper and grain and a drier, livelier drink.

Why it works

Each of the four measures has a job. Lemon brings brightness. Aperol and Amaro Nonino bring the bittersweet, orange and herbal side. The whisky is the base under all of it, and a corn-led, oak-aged whisky helps the lemon and bitter orange land more softly.

That softness is a flavour impression, not a sign of extra sugar in the bottle. Corn alone does not guarantee it either: how the whisky was aged helps shape the result.

The shake does two jobs at once. Ice chills the drink and adds water, which is why the shake has a time. Equal parts are a starting point, not a guarantee of balance, so taste the drink before you change anything.

What you can change (substitutions)

The classic build is bourbon. For a Canadian rebuild, choose the whisky by the job it needs to do in this drink.

A corn-led whisky

Look for vanilla, caramel and rounded oak. This is the closest bourbon-like rebuild, and the softest landing for the lemon and bitter orange.

A rye-led whisky

Brings peppery, grain and herbal notes forward, so the drink feels drier and livelier beside the amaro. Choose it when you want spice. Rye can carry vanilla and toffee from oak, too.

A stronger bottle

At the same 30 ml, a higher ABV adds more alcohol before dilution. It may give the whisky more presence, and it can make the finish hotter. Compare flavour and strength together, with the same ice and technique, before you touch the equal parts.

One change at a time

Keep the Aperol, Amaro Nonino and lemon the same for your first comparison. Change the whisky, taste, and only then decide what to change next.

“BEARFACE Triple Oak was my first good find. Its corn base and three oak treatments gave me a useful lead; in the Paper Plane, I liked its bourbon-like sweetness [3]. My current favourite is SFR 3-Year Old.”

“Barnburner is a perfectly good, affordable whisky. It was simply not the right fit for me in the Paper Plane, where it threw off the balance. Lot No. 40 is a different choice: I find it delicious and well balanced here, with more spice. I choose the character I want, then taste the result.”
George Logue. These are bottles he enjoyed in the drink, not interchangeable examples of Canadian whisky.

If it tastes wrong

The finish feels hot

A higher-strength whisky adds more alcohol at the same measure and can make the finish hotter. Try a lower-strength bottle at the same 30 ml before changing anything else.

It tastes harsh or not quite together

Check the basics: fresh lemon, a chilled glass and the full 10 to 12 second shake. The size and condition of your ice also change the result, so a stated shake time is a starting point.

The balance feels off with a new whisky

Change the bottle before the measures. George found one good whisky threw this drink off balance while others worked well. Taste one change at a time.

Sources