Paper Plane

Sam Ross, Milk and Honey, New York City, 2007. Ross created the drink for Audrey Saunders's Pegu Club menu. The equal-parts structure was inspired by the Last Word (Entry 26), which Ross admired for its formula elegance. Named for M.I.A.'s song 'Paper Planes' from the same year.

The Paper Plane is the 21st century's most successful equal-parts cocktail — bourbon, Aperol, Amaro Nonino Quintessenza, and fresh lemon juice in exact 3/4 oz measures, shaken and served up. Created by Sam Ross at Milk and Honey in New York City in 2007 and named for the M.I.A. song, it demonstrates that the equal-parts formula (first established by the Last Word, Entry 26) can be applied to entirely different families of ingredients to create a completely original drink. The Paper Plane's genius is the three-bittersweet Italian liqueurs playing against the bourbon's American warmth, all pulled together by lemon's acidity. It is balanced to the decimal point — adjust any one element by 1/4 oz and the drink breaks.

FOOD PAIRING: The Paper Plane's bitter-sweet, citrus-bourbon complexity pairs with umami-rich and bitter preparations. Provenance 1000 pairings: grilled peach and gorgonzola salad (the Aperol's orange note and the amaro's bitterness balance the fruit-cheese pairing), duck breast with cherry reduction (the Nonino's dried fruit notes mirror the reduction), bitter chocolate fondant (bitter on bitter is a power pairing), aged Parmigiano with truffle honey (the umami amplifies the amaro's complexity), and charcuterie with bitter orange marmalade.