slushy paper airplane

      A few years back, Alex and I began preparing cocktails in batches and storing them in the freezer. While "batching" may seem sophisticated and professional, we were really just engaging in basic math (“one ounce? More like one cup!”) and indulging in a bit of laziness (or let's say, preparation). Having ready-to-serve cocktails that are super cold, preventing them from diluting with melting ice, was a win. As this habit has persisted, it's always enjoyable when a friend drops by and you recall that you already have perfect manhattans on hand, as if you’re competing for a medal in the spontaneous hosting Olympics.

      Most cocktails made in the freezer are quite simple: they start warm and come out chilled. However, earlier this year, we created paper planes, stored them in a jar in the freezer for later, and then got too tired to enjoy them (ah, adulthood!) only to remember two days later that (science moment approaching, cover your ears!) lower-proof cocktails actually freeze when frozen. Alcohol, as we likely learned long ago, has a lower freezing point than water, which is why vodka kept in the freezer (a nod to my Russian in-laws) remains pourable, whereas paper planes, containing lemon juice and lower-proof aperol in addition to higher-proof amaro and bourbon, end up in a delightful half-frozen state we call slush.

      Honestly, though, the term "slush" doesn’t do them justice. Here's something I've discovered while attempting to write recipes for frozen cocktails over the years: getting the texture right in a blender is challenging. Too much liquid, or liquid that isn’t ice-cold from the start, results in everything turning to liquid. Conversely, not enough liquid means nothing blends. Ice that's too chunky fails to blend evenly; ice that's too fine melts quickly. Yet, these slushy paper planes have the texture I dream all blended cocktails could achieve, and no blender is needed: they are thick yet pourable with a delightful crunch of thin ice flakes. They look stunning (thank you, Aperol, for the beautiful orange hue), are well-balanced (the bourbon smooths it out, the amaro harmonizes, and the lemon adds a sharp note), and resemble a popsicle in a glass, all with minimal effort—just pouring ingredients into a jar and letting them sit for a day. This summer is going to be a triumph, starting with this recipe.

      Slushy Paper PlanesThis is a straightforward 1:1:1:1 formula, making it easy to adjust based on the amount of ingredients you have, the size of your jar, or how many servings you need. I’m demonstrating using a 3-cup/24-ounce Ball wide-mouth canning jar, so I utilized 3/4 cup (6 fluid ounces or 175 ml) of each ingredient. Each drink typically measures 1/2 cup (4 ounces or 120 ml).

      - 3/4 cup bourbon

      - 3/4 cup amaro nonino

      - 3/4 cup aperol

      - 3/4 cup lemon juice

      Combine all ingredients in a jar and place it in the freezer for at least overnight; you can keep it longer without it going bad. When you're ready to serve, stir the mixture until it reaches an even slushy consistency (it may be partly soft ice and partly liquid) and pour into either tall coupe glasses without ice, or, as shown here, shorter glasses (8 ounces) filled with ice.