Here’s how to make a fun and festive cocktail garnish out of a lemon peel that looks just like a paper plane! It’s perfect for the Paper Plane cocktail, or whenever you need a flight-themed garnish for a drink or occasion.
What is the Paper Plane cocktail?
The Paper Plane is a brightly-colored modern bourbon cocktail created in 2008 by Sam Ross for the opening of The Violet Hour bar in Chicago. The cocktail gets its name from M.I.A’s hit song Paper Planes, which you might remember was bumping on speakers pretty much non-stop from 2007 to 2009.
It follows the same template as the Last Word cocktail, meaning it’s made up of four ingredients in equal parts: bourbon, lemon juice, Aperol, and Amaro Nonino. The resulting cocktail is balanced, tart, and tangy, with warmth from the bourbon and bittersweetness from the Amaro and Aperol. Its bright color and refreshing taste make it a wonderful drink for spring and summertime, but it’s one of those cocktails that pleases a crowd whenever you whip it up!
While Sam Ross says a garnish isn’t necessary for the Paper Plane and you can just use a slice of grapefruit or orange, I decided to try to make an original paper plane garnish out of a lemon peel and it turned out SO fun. Sure, it’s a little more time intensive, but it’s so worth the effort and really makes the presentation of the cocktail that much more impressive.
Learn how to make the Paper Plane cocktail here!
Other uses for the paper plane garnish
While this garnish was made with the Paper Plane in mind, it would be just as fun for any flight-themed cocktail or if you’re hosting a party with a flying theme! Here are a few of the most popular plane-themed cocktails.
- The Aviation
- Pan American Clipper
- Test Pilot
- Jet Pilot
- Airmail
- Blue Skies
This is just to name a few! There are also several occasions where adding this garnish to any cocktail would be appropriate and super festive. For example:
- When celebrating or gifting a trip
- If you’re throwing a party with a flying theme
- For travel or flight enthousiasts’ birthdays
Tools for the paper plane garnish
This paper plane garnish is a little bit more involved than a simple lemon twist, but it’s still pretty straight forward and you only need a few tools to make it that are likely already in your kitchen! See the full run-down on what you need below.
- Lemon (or any citrus fruit)
- Knife
- Cocktail pick (or toothpick)
- 1-2 toothpicks
How to make the paper plane garnish
This paper plane made out of a lemon peel is the best garnish for the Paper Plane cocktail, or whenever you need a flying-themed garnish. Here’s the step-by-step breakdown on how to make it with visuals!
1. Peel the lemon
To ensure you have enough peel to work with, it’s best to peel an entire lemon. Roll the lemon under your hand on a cutting board to loosen up the skin and make it easier to peel. Then cut a slit down the length of the lemon with a knife and peel the skin off, making sure to keep the skin in one piece.
2. Cut out two triangles
Cut two long, evenly sized triangles out of the peel for the wings of the plane.
3. Fold the sides
Fold down the sides of the triangles into two smaller triangles and join them together with a cocktail pick. If they aren’t staying folded, lightly run a knife along the fold’s creases to make them easier to bend.
4. Trim off the extra peel and connect the tips
Trim off the white part of the peel with a knife so you’re only left with the folded “wings”. Then break off the tip of a toothpick and put it through the tips of the wings to connect them.
5. Make any final adjustments
If there are any other parts of the paper plane that aren’t flush together, use a small piece of a toothpick to connect them. Also, depending on where you have the cocktail pick, it’s possible the plane will be off-balance when you add it to the cocktail. To avoid it nose diving into the drink, cut a small notch on the bottom of the plane and rest the notch on the rim of the cocktail glass.
How to make the perfect paper plane cocktail garnish
Here's how to make a fun and festive lemon peel cocktail garnish that looks just like a paper plane!
Materials
- 1 lemon
Tools
- Sharp knife
- Cocktail pick (or toothpick)
- 1-2 toothpick tips
Instructions
- Roll the lemon under your hand on a cutting board to loosen up the skin and make it easier to peel. Then cut a slit down the length of the lemon with a knife and peel the skin off, making sure to keep the skin in one piece.
- Cut two long, evenly sized triangles out of the peel for the wings of the plane.
- Fold down the sides of the triangles into two smaller triangles and join them together with a cocktail pick. If they aren't staying folded, lightly run a knife along the fold’s creases to make them easier to bend.
- Trim off the extra peel with a knife so you’re only left with the folded “wings”. Then break off the tip of a toothpick and put it through the tips of the wings to connect them.
- If there are any other parts of the paper plane that aren’t flush together, use another broken off toothpick tip to connect them.
- Depending on where you have the cocktail pick, it's possible the plane will be off-balance when you add it to the cocktail. To avoid it nose diving into the drink, cut a small notch on the bottom of the plane and rest the notch on the rim of the cocktail glass.
