While in Washington, DC, staying with my friend Scot, he offered me a Paper Plane, his new summer easy-to-make cocktail. He recently started experimenting with cocktails when he moved from beer and wine to liquor. Along the way, he discovered this easy-to-make cocktail with equal parts of each ingredient.

The Paper Plane is less effervescent than an Aperol Spritz and lighter than a bourbon-forward Old Fashioned.  It is delicious and refreshing. Perfect for warm weather.

It consists of equal parts of four ingredients: bourbon, Aperol, fresh lemon juice and Amaro Nonino Quintessentia, an orange bittersweet liqueur infused with herbs. We used an ounce of each.

So simple and so tasty. It goes down easily.

PAPER PLANE
1 ounce bourbon
1 ounce Aperol liqueur
1 ounce Amaro Nonino Quintessentia liqueur
1 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
Lemon zest or twist for garnish

Add the bourbon, Aperol, Amaro Nonino and lemon juice to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until chilled.

Makes 1 portion