Zero Proof Paper Plane
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Alcohol Free Paper Plane
In this non alcoholic version of the Paper Plane cocktail you will get all the fruity, bitter, malty, toasty and tart flavors of the original. It’s easy to see how the Paper plane has become an instant classic
You’ll need the following equipment:
Ingredients:
Ghia Non Alcoholic Aperitif
Barley Tea
Szechuan Peppercorn
Red Chili
Demerara Sugar
Cinchona Bitters
Peychaud’s Bitters
Lemon
Vanilla Extract
The Paper Plane is fairly young cocktail, but has become an instant classic. It was developed by Sam Ross for the Violet hour in Chicago. Its a variation on a last word cocktail composed of equal parts Amaro Noino, Aperol, Bourbon and Lemon juice. My version will have none of those ingredients except for lemon juice. I have to say, it tastes amazingly similar!
My non alcoholic version of the drink will consist of barley tea, Szechuan peppercorn and chili syrup, vanilla extract, Peychaud bitters, cinchona bitters, Ghia non alcoholic aperitif and lemon juice.
To begin I’m going to brew some roasted barley tea- I like to do a cold steep on this- it does take longer to brew, but the tea tastes cleaner and has a clearer appearance once brewed. This toasted barley tea will be imparting some of those toasty notes that would come from the bourbon, I also think it lends a nice maltyness too. The tea bags I have are for a quart of water, but I want this tea to be a bit stronger, so I’m only going to add 3 cups of water to it. This part can be done in advance, but it will need roughly 2 hours to brew. If you make it with hot water, it only needs to brew for 5 minutes, but it will look murkier.
For that deep caramel flavor, I’m going to make a rich Demerara simple syrup infused with chili and Szechuan peppercorn. The Szechuan peppercorn has a numbing quality that will help to mimic the burn of whiskey.
In addition to the Szechuan peppercorn, I’m going to add a little bit of chili to add the heat to the burn. I’m going to add around 30 Szechuan peppercorns and just a small pinch of chili flake (~ 1/8th tsp) to a pan. I like to toast these for a minute to release their oils. After the peppercorn smell fragrant, I’m going to add a quarter cup of Demerara sugar to the pan. Since we are making a rich syrup, we need 1/2 the amount of water to sugar, so I will only add 1/8th cup of water to the pan. I will let this simmer for a minute- just until all the sugar has dissolved before I remove it from the heat.
The last thing we need to do before making the cocktail is just to juice the lemon. Im just going to juice it into the container. We will be double straining the cocktail, so I’m not worried about any pulp getting in there.
To build the cocktail, I’m first going to pour in 3/4 oz of lemon juice. Next I will pour in a half ounce of the Szechuan and chili syrup, followed by an ounce of barley tea, 3/4 ounce of Ghia aperitif, followed by four drops of vanilla extract, A half bar spoon of cinchona bitters, And four dashes of peychaud bitters
Add ice and shake vigorously for 10 seconds and double strain the cocktail into a Nick and Nora glass, and garnish with a miniature paper plane.
I really enjoyed this drink- it hits all the same notes as the original cocktail without the buzz of course. Its got fruit and bitterness from the Ghia, that warm caramel, malty and vanilla taste from the vanilla extract and barley tea. The Szechuan peppercorn and chili syrup bring the heat and sweetness and the perfect amount of tartness from the lemon. Whether you drink alcohol or not, you will love this drink!
Ingredients:
3/4 oz Ghia Non Alcoholic Aperitif
1 oz Barley Tea
1/2 oz Szechuan and Chili Syrup*
1/2 bar spoon Cinchona Bitters
4 dashes Peychaud’s Bitters
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
4 drops Vanilla Extract
Method:
Make the Szechuan and Chili Syrup*
Brew the barley tea. Cold steep one tea bag in 3 cups of cold water in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
Juice 1 lemon.
Combine all ingredients into a shaker tin and shake for 10 seconds. Double strain into a Nick and Nora glass.
Garnish with a tiny paper plane.
Equipment:
*Szechuan and Chili Syrup:
Toast 30 Szechuan peppercorns and a pinch of chili flake on a pan for 30 seconds. Add 1/4 cup Demerara sugar and 3 tablespoons of water to the pan. let it cook until all the sugar has dissolved. Strain the syrup to remove the chili flakes and peppercorns.
