A few years ago, Alex and I started batching cocktails and keeping them in the freezer. Batching may sound fancy and professional but at most we were participating in rudimentary math (“one ounce? nah, one cup!”) and advanced laziness (ahem, preparedness). Having cocktails ready to go and super, super cold so that they won’t immediately water themselves down by melting ice was a win. And, as the habit has continued, it’s always fun when a friend stops by and you remember you already have perfect manhattans ready to go, as if you were trying to medal in the impromptu hosting olympics.
Most freezer-batched cocktails are straightforward: lukewarm going in, chilled coming out. But earlier this year we made paper planes, poured them into a jar in the freezer for later, got too tired to enjoy them (adulthood!) and came back two days later to remember that (science lesson incoming, cover your ears!) that lower-proof cocktails actually, uh, freeze when frozen. Alcohol, as we probably learned a long time ago, has a lower freezing point than water, which is why vodka kept in your freezer (aka you’re my Russian in-laws) is pourable but paper planes, which contain both lemon juice and lower-proof Aperol along with higher-proof amaro and bourbon — turn out to get suspended in a perfect half-frozen state we call slush.
But I honestly feel like “slush” undersells them. Here is a thing I’ve learned trying to write frozen cocktail recipes over the years: It’s tricky to get the texture just right in a blender. Too much liquid, or liquid that’s not arctic to begin with, everything liquefies. Not enough liquid, nothing blends. Ice that’s too chunky never homogenizes; ice that’s too small melts. Yet these slushy paper planes are the texture I wish/dream all blender cocktails were, with no blender required: thick but pourable with the most delightful crunches of thin ice flakes everywhere. It’s gorgeous (thank you, Aperol, for the orange glow), balanced (the bourbon smooths it, the amaro harmonizes it, the lemon sharpens it), and feels like a popsicle in a glass and you did nothing, nothing but pouring ingredients into a jar and forgetting about them for a day to make it happen. We’re going to win at summer this year, and it starts with this.
Slushy Paper Planes
- 3/4 cup bourbon
- 3/4 cup amaro nonino
- 3/4 cup Aperol
- 3/4 cup lemon juice
Going into the freezer now! What a great idea 🙂
Are you familiar with JM Hirsch’s book on the subject (not the slushy part, but the freezer part)? It came out last year. “Freezer Door Cocktails.” If you’re intrigued by the concept, check it out!
So, I’m a light-weight in that “cocktails” are usually too strong for me. Thoughts about how to lighten this up? Not asking about a mocktail version just something that doesn’t make me light-headed. ‘Cause this sounds so good
It’ll freeze solid if you dilute more, but what about pouring a little of this over some lemon sorbet?
I bet you could make the cocktail per the recipe so it keeps the right texture and then when you serve it, top with sparkling water or maybe a lemonade. That would be bring down the proof and make it more like a slushy spritz.
Yes – top with club soda. Will dilute, but not corrupt the flavor. This also works with a Negroni.
Paper planes are tasty with grapefruit juice added. It would probably mess up the slush ratio, but it dilutes the alcohol somewhat.
I hypothesize that you could make/freeze as directed, then dilute with cold carbonated water (I’d use plain or lemon), to make a spritz. You will probably lose the slushy consistency, though, so have ice cubes available.
I’ve been doing freezer cocktails for ages- huge batches for lefty fundraiser parties. A good friend who comes to these parties likes a lower-proof cocktail. Club soda works great to lighten up almost any cocktail.
This is genius! I have a bunch of small mason jars I just found the best use for ever.
I absolutely love paper planes! Can’t wait to try these.
Update: I had all the ingredients except for the lemons. I made a double batch (why not?) Saturday afternoon and tried my first drink Sunday evening. My first sip was very strong, so maybe I didn’t mix it enough. But after that, it was very good! Can’t wait to just grab myself a quick cocktail on a hot day. :)
Looks great! Pretty sure it should be 120 ml in the last sentence above the ingredients list, though.
Winning at summer once again! I can’t wait to pop a batch of these in the freezer.
We keep olio martini batched in the freezer, it’s such a delightfully oozy slush! I have never had amaro nonino but we like campari so can’t wait to give it a try. Popsicle in a glass is a pretty winning argument!
I’m going to try this! I’m a sucker for the pretty color. My ex-husband wrote a whole book of similar recipes (Freezer Door Cocktails by J.M. Hirsch) if you’re into this sort of thing.
I love it!
When friends drop by? What charming, old-fashioned world do you live in, and how can I find it?! Nowadays, it seems like it takes 5 texts and schedule-juggling to see people 4 weeks out. The drink sounds lovely tho.
It’s so true. I even wrote about it in the headnote for my clam chowder recipe in Smitten Kitchen Keepers:
Needless to say, living in a busy part of Manhattan helps too!
After reading hundreds of cookbooks and blogs, I’ve come to the conclusion that there is an unconscious plot among food writers to portray a cozy Mayberry world. Martha and Ina and Dorie are all guilty of it. These muffins are perfect for unexpected guests! These slice-and-bake cookies are just waiting in the freezer for friends to drop by! Keep this recipe in your back pocket for impromptu dinner gatherings!
Right. Next time I’m in the neighborhood, I’ll just drop by Skylands for one of those cookies!
Funny thing is, I kind of love those fuzzy fantasies!
Lynn, you’ve never been at a friend’s house longer than intended and then they asked you to stay for dinner? You’ve never had plans canceled and then someone say, “just come over to my place instead”?
I’m sorry you don’t have friends like that, but it doesn’t mean other people are lying. What a weird, ungenerous assumption.
Wow. I certainly never intended to accuse anyone of lying. Only to comment (humorously, I hoped, but obviously not to you) on the busy, scheduled lives so many of us lead these days. Perhaps you are ungenerously assuming I have no friends?
Lisa, I gave this more thought (thank you for prompting the reflection). I think the concern here is the presence or absence of leisure time. For people with full-time jobs, raising a family, caregiving to elders, perhaps with creative or activist interests on the side — leisure time is rare and tight. Thus the multiple texts to arrange a future get-together which will have time boundaries. Leisure time is a luxury and many of us don’t have it.
I agree that most people lead very busy lives, for very many reasons. I think maybe the reason people who love cooking also have a lot of friends, and friends who feel comfortable just dropping by, is because we love to cook for other people. We sort of have an open door policy–within reason, of course–because we usually have an abundance of good things to share, and we are genuinely happy to see you and feed you. And yes, I think we all long for the days when our lives were a little less scheduled in general.
Cooking is definitely a love language!
This looks incredible – what a great idea!
Does anyone have thoughts on subbing gin or vodka for the bourbon? I don’t care for dark liquor, but would subbing out a clear liquor mess with the flavor profile too much? I suppose a negroni slush wouldn’t be a bad idea either!
I was thinking that too! Probably equal parts gin-vermouth-campari-OJ??
Update: I tried it with negroni ingredients + orange juice (i did a quick math problem to check the alcohol content overall, rather than worry about individual ingredient and it seemed just about equal!).
24 hours (last night) it wasn’t frozen at all. It was too late to have a cocktail, but I figured it would just be a delicious drink later in the week. This morning (so probably 36 hours in the freezer) it looks perfectly slushy!!! Can’t wait for 5 pm ;)
I have subbed gin for bourbon in a paper plane and loved it. Highly recommend.
I’m drinking this right now and don’t get much bourbon flavor coming through. I think it would play well with gin but I’m not sure if it would change the alcohol percentage and thus the slushiness. For the record, I didn’t want to wait until it turned to slush to taste and am drinking it over ice. I also used amaro Montenegro because I could find nonino (and that’s what my in-store Reddit search turned up as a suitable sub).
Loads of variations that don’t have bourbon. The paper plane is itself a variation of a delicious gin-based cocktail called The Last Word.
The Last Word:
Equal parts gin, lime, Luxardo maraschino liqueur, green chartreuse
One of my fave variations is the Broken Paper Plane:
Equal parts gin, lemon, st. Germaine, amaro nonino
Another that I started making and haven’t named and is a huge hit for our porch happy hour:
Equal parts gin, lime, st. Germaine, aperol
Would all be lovely as a slush!
This is the most wonderful idea EVER. Thank you for the tip!! Putting these in my freezer for tomorrow!
Could you swap Amaro averna or something else for the nonino?
I haven’t tested it with others — averna is sweeter, so I wouldn’t like it here, but it doesn’t mean others won’t. For me, this drink is about as sweet as I can handle any drink, and it’s not very.
I tried Amaro Averna – mostly because I was feeling cheap and I’m the bottle was almost twenty dollars cheaper than Amari Nonnino
The drink is still delicious. The color is more of a pumpkin than a bright orange – still pretty but different effect
Amaro Montenegro works!
Yes Montenegro is a great sub, I couldn’t find Nonino at three different stores but they all had Montenegro and it’s less expensive. Averna is delicious but definitely sweeter.
When it’s an emergency (aka behind schedule), also tasty over ice.
My mother in law has always made something she just calls “cranberry drink”, which is cranberry juice, those cans of frozen orange juice and lemonade concentrate, and a whole lot of vodka, stuck in the freezer. Like a true midwesterner, she stores it in recycled cool whip tubs. This sounds like a less sugary, more sophisticated version of that.
Pretty much unrelated, but this makes me want to experiment with your frozen coconut limeade recipe and make a variation that can slush itself in the freezer. :) Happy summer!
Oooh maybe with coconut rum?
Oh mannnn I wish I had lemon juice to prepare this for tomorrow
I immediately ran to make this as soon as I saw it on instagram! It’s delicious, but after about 18 hours in the fridge it didn’t slushify at all. I did use amaro averna and Campari, as those were what I had on hand and I just had to slow it right away, I wonder if they have different freezing points?
Aperol has a lower alcohol content than Campari, so yes, that probably did it.
Yes, Aperol is 11%, while Campari is 24%. Try adding a bit of water.
I had the same after about 30 hours — I used Aperol but the Knob Creek I used may have been higher proof than an average Bourbon? Deb: what’s the alcohol content of your bourbon?
Since the math is easy — squeeze as many lemons as you are going to use and weigh the juice. Put in equal amounts of the other components. (Use the same principle for making any cocktail with freshly squeezed juice.)
It feels like Deb’s principle for whole boxes of pasta or cans of tomatoes. There is no point in using less than all of a lemon — and this cocktail is all in the balance (and it is delicious).
Pure genius. Will make immediately.
I made this (but with Amaro Ramazotti as I was out of Nonino and that’s all that was available at my local store). After 24 hours in the freezer it was chilled but nowhere near anything resembling a slushy state. I know the flavors of both are a little different but the alcohol level is the same so I don’t understand why it didn’t get to a slushy state. A Paper Plane is a favorite cocktail and I was so looking forward to the slushy version. We even invited friends over to join us on our deck on an unusually hot night in Seattle in June only to be sadly disappointed.
Something to note when choosing your spirits for this: not all bourbons are the same ABV! My mixture is also not freezing enough, and I used 100-proof “bonded” bourbon, which is 50% alcohol. I’d hazard a guess that 45% ABV would lead to better texture!
I had the same issue, looking forward to trying a lower proof bourbon and will report back!
This worked like a dream and was SUCH a treat to unveil to our friends last night. The color is gorgeous and the texture was a delight. We served it in coupe classes without ice, garnished with a twist of lemon peel, and now I’m wondering whether to try a Last Word version. I think the proofs of the various ingredients are the same, and if I take the plunge, I’ll be sure to report back :)
I tried a Last Word version and it didn’t slush, but the second round of paper planes I made alongside were perfect, again!
Same as everyone else, mine is not freezing. Can’t figure out what the issue is.
Your writing is the best in the business. Even if your recipes were crap (which they most definitely aren’t) I would come here for your writing. I just read this whole post aloud to my husband, and he agreed that it was brilliant and inspiring.
Can’t wait to try the slush and win at summer with you!
Excellent cocktail but mine never got “slushy” even though it spent two full days in freezer. Still delish!
Perfect!!! For those days in triple digits!
The paper plane was my pandemic cocktail and we loved it with the addition of the juice of one small sweet orange to a batch this size. Can’t believe I never thought to freeze it although my husband made it into a slushy by drinking his over “Sonic” ice.
Curious what bourbon people have used…..thanks in advance
Oh man, I ran-not-walked to the liquor store to get the ingredients for this. It’s very delicious, but it’s been in the freezer for 24 hours and it’s nowhere near slushy, just very cold.
Hello! The paper plane is one of my very favorite cocktails! Mine also didn’t slush-ify, I used Wild Turkey 101, which is my go-to when mixing this cocktail but I’m wondering if the higher proof is the issue. Anyone use a different bourbon successfully? Still delicious no matter what :)
Same issue for me. I usually use 100-proof bottles in bond but I used a 90-proof Four Roses Small Batch. I wonder if it’s right on the edge of not freezing?
I added a bit of water and stuck it back in, will see if it slushes up right with that adjustment. I didn’t check the temp but I will when I check it tomorrow.
Re: Those who said their cocktail didn’t get slushy. Two things:
First, and I should have made this more clear: The drink gets half-slushed in the jar. When pulled from the freezer, there’s usually some on the top that’s icy and some below that’s liquid. When stirred, you end a loose, pourable slush, i.e. drinkable slush perfection.
Second, also I probably should have warned: Freezers vary a lot in how robust they are at freezing things. However, mine is kind of lousy and also overstuffed, so I figured if I get some slush after a day, everyone else would, if not faster. But I might have misjudged, or maybe mine is less lousy weak than I thought. Try stuffing it further back or in what seems like a colder part of your freezer.
This absolutely will slush when cold enough, even if it takes a second day in a colder spot. I promise. I’ve been testing it like it was my job (lol) since January.
I am in love with this idea. I’m a gin lover; bourbon cocktails are not my jam. I look forward to experimenting.
I also made this as written and used a 40% ABV bourbon and 24 hours later… no slush. :(
These were delightful and delicious! They pack a punch and turned our lake house weekend into a dance party with cousins and grandparents full of Taylor Swift, the Macarena, and Frankie Valli. We made them 24 hours in advance and froze them in multiple bonne maman jam jars. They looked completely solid until you plunged a knife into them and stirred them. We topped some off with San Pelligrino to water them down a bit, and the ice was a great add to dilute them as well. I used 2 cups of each ingredient (10 lemons), which made enough for 8 adults to have two cocktails each. Another winner. Deb, you are truly incredible!
This looks delicious; what other cocktails do you have on successful freezer repeat Deb? I’d love a collection
Holy &$:@. We made these for Father’s Day and I need Costco for lemons to turn my entire existence into these.
How do you account for dilution? Normally, when you shake a standard cocktail with ice, about 1/2 to 3/4 oz. of water is added to the drink (17 to 25%). When you batch cocktails, typically you would add the water as part of the batch, but I suspect this may mess up the texture by adding 1/2 C to 3/4 C of water (it may freeze more solidly)? Thoughts?
So that’s why I pour it over ice; I otherwise find it a tiny bit too sweet for me. But I do think you could add some water and since it’s a soft/slushy freeze to begin with, it won’t tip it into the solid block of ice zone. Maybe a tablespoon or two per drink? Let us know if you try it. And I can next time too.
I was very excited to make this as soon as I saw the recipe. Found amaro nonino at Ralph’s for those looking in CA. To those that said it didn’t freeze – mine also didn’t freeze after 24 hours. However I moved it to the back of the freezer as a last resort and it turned to slush within a few hours! I did use woodford reserve bourbon but everything else was the same as in Deb’s recipe.
Perfection! I made these for a gathering and folks loved them. I used the lowest proof bourbon I could find (Mad River from VT) and used small jam jars. It took a full 24 hours to get slushy. Folks who have struggled with the slush factor may want to check the temperature of their freezer.
The Paper Plane is a mainstay at my house and I literally just gasped with joy when I saw this. Summer (and my freezer) will not be the same now that I know about this trick.
I tried making this (for Swedish midsummer’s eve tonight!) but it froze solid overnight. Most people having problems appear to experience the opposite, so I am a bit puzzled. My freezer is pretty old and European, I have no idea what the temperature is in there, but it is set to a setting of 3 of 6, where 6 is the coldest.
Makes me wonder if a Negroni would freeze slushy as well!
Yes! I got a recipe last year from Bon Appetite for a frozen Negroni. Made same way- overnight in freezer. Was delicious.
Me not knowing there is a drink called a paper plane, reading the blog post title: WHAT IN THE WORLD.
(Not a bourbon fan, so these will not thrill me but I will tell my husband – he will love it)
I made regular Paper Planes a few years ago for a party. My then-9 year old thought the name was hilarious, ran off, and came back with tiny handmade paper planes he perched on the edge of each glass as decoration. This recipe is my sign for me to make the cocktail again (in slushy form) and my now-12 year old to decorate them!
Haha my 9yo did the same but I stopped myself from styling these with them as I expected it would get some side eye, heh. (Not from me!)
Question- (science question!) what proof of bourbon did you use or would you recommend for the right freezing consistency? Or, what bourbon did you use? Excited to try this.
I used Four Roses. In general, no bourbon will freeze — they’re all too high proof. Ditto with the amaro. The freezing comes from the lower proof Aperol and the lemon.
Mine froze all the way through! What did I do wrong??
Is it stirrable? Or like an ice cube? I can’t imagine how something that’s 50% bourbon and amaro, both really high proof, can freeze solid but maybe you have a very good freezer?
Made a batch last night and just pulled them out of freezer this morning to check. Perfectly slushy. For those having issues, I assume it’s a freezer temperature issue. Excited to decant fully this afternoon.
Your photograph of Aperol, Four Roses and Amaro with lemons makes a beautiful still life. I just purchased the liquors (sadly, no Amaro Nonino in stock, only Montenegro) and discovered I don’t have more lemons. Can’t wait to make and drink these!
Recipe for Strawberry Summer Sheet Cake which I’m planning on making for the 4th, states use nonstick spray for sides & corners of pan, but parchment paper on bottom. Planned on letting everyone cut their own portions, but who wants paper stuck to bottom.
Can’t entire pan be sprayed & still get great results?
Parchment paper won’t stick to the cake, you can simply peel it off. Using parchment underneath makes the cake easier to remove. You can just grease it if you’d like but sometimes as the berries bake and cool, they can stick even to a greased pan, which is why parchment is more reliable.
I made these and they got slushy after about 18 hours in the fridge. They were delicious, but pretty boozy. If I wanted less alcohol next time I would forego the slush and mix about two shots of these with seltzer. Really delicious, and very pretty, too. Thank you.
I love the Paper Plane, a “modern classic” that’s always a hit with my guests. But water added to the shaken cocktail from the ice used to cool a single serving is part of the flavor profile*. Doesn’t the batched version need some small amount of water added before it goes into the freezer? Perhaps 1/8 cup (2 tbsp) would do the trick, without lowering the ABV to the point where the batch freezes solid.
*”Liquid Intelligence” by Dave Arnold
Too funny reading all the comments about not freezing because I had just the opposite issue – mine froze solid! I’m not sure if it’s because my ratios weren’t exact (I’m moving and have not yet unpacked the kitchen so all I have is a one cup measuring cup) or because I used bottled lemon juice (again, no kitchen yet). Still super yummy (we’ve gone through two batches), just have to keep in the fridge. Fwiw, I did “equal” parts Union Horse bourbon, Aperol, amaro nonino, and store-bought lemon juice. Looking forward to making with all things more exact and proper when we get there in all the unpacking, but still super wonderful out of the fridge in the meantime!
Made these for a 4th of July fireworks-watching party. A cinch to make and rave reviews from our guests. Thanks!
This was delicious! But we found it made three cocktails served over ice. :). I have a double batch in the freezer ready to go for the weekend. I used two—32 ounce jars to leave some room at the top. It froze just fine for me the first time I made it but I didn’t have a mason jar so I used a square Tupperware container so not sure if that had anything to do with it.