A Camo Chef Cocktail Concoction: The Autumn Dart

Those of you who know me personally know I take my whiskey sour. Fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, bourbon, and two Luxardo maraschino cherries— hold the egg white, because I get plenty of protein from bacon. However, this was a summer of growth for me in a lot of ways: I had my second child, I started a new business, and most notably, I embraced a new cocktail.

You see, I am a creature of consistency, whereas my husband, the Camo Chef, loves to experiment with flavors and relentlessly seeks new combinations. So in his bid to open my mind to a new cocktail this summer, he introduced me to a classic, The Paper Plane. Equal parts bourbon, Aperol, fresh lemon juice, and Amaro Nonino Quintessentia. I loved it, and true to form, I consistently requested it again, and again. Until it was my new norm and we were out of Amaro Nonino Quintessentia— which not only is difficult to say, but it’s also hard to find. So like many great inventions, this new cocktail concoction is the product of desperation and simple substitution.

The result—the warmth of maraschinos, depth of bourbon, tangy bitterness of Aperol, and brightness of lemon combine to create the perfect drink to carry us through Fall. Its Autumn color is exactly that to match, and given it’s a derivation of The Paper Plane, it seems only fitting that we also dub it “The Dart,” for of all the paper plane constructions that is the most iconic and easy to make:

The Autumn Dart

Equal Parts (3/4 cup ea.)

• Bourbon

• Aperol

• Fresh Lemon Juice

• Luxardo Liqueur

• A maraschino cherry, or two.

Cheers.

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