Wright Flyer

Recipe from Drew Furlough

Adapted by Julia Moskin

Published February 2, 2021

  • Christopher Simpson for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
5 minutes
Rating
4(76)
Comments
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The Wright Flyer is an adaptation of the classic Paper Plane cocktail, with a nod to North Carolina from its creator. Drew Furlough, a restaurant manager in Asheville, set out to build a citrusy winter cocktail on a base of apple brandy, a traditional spirit that’s enjoying a comeback in the Blue Ridge Mountains, where apples have been a major crop since the 1700s. —Julia Moskin

Featured in: America’s First Moonshine, Applejack, Returns in Sleeker Style

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Ingredients

Yield:2 cocktails

  • ¼ teaspoon Demerara sugar

  • 6 dashes bitters, such as Angostura or apple

  • 1 ounce applejack or apple brandy

  • Ice

  • 1 ½ ounces fresh (unsweetened) grapefruit juice

  • 1 ½ ounces Italian amaro, such as Nonino or Fernet-Branca

  • 1 ½ ounces Aperol

  • ½ ounce dark rum, such as Gosling’s

  • 2 apple slices, for garnish

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving

28 grams carbs; 221 calories; 4 grams fiber; 4 milligrams sodium; 1 gram protein; 21 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a shaker, combine sugar, bitters and applejack; shake to dissolve.

  2. Step 2

    Fill shaker with ice and add grapefruit juice, amaro, Aperol and rum.

  3. Step 3

    Shake well and strain into two coupe or martini glasses. Garnish each with an apple slice and serve immediately.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
76 user ratings
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Comments

SL

Hard to take seriously a recipe that is as happy with Amaro Nonino as with Fernet-Branca. Imagine a Manhattan recipe that suggests subbing vodka if one is out of rye.

Drew Furlough

The original recipe uses Nonino. The recipe was adapted, as noted, to allow some flexibility for home readers who may not have Nonino on hand. I hope that helps. -df

Lucy Tirk

Subbed Calvados for applejack. Subbed a mix of blood orange and lemon juice for grapefruit juice. Subbed light brown sugar for Demerara. Used Myers's Original Dark for rum. A more intense version of a Paper Plane, but a rather fussy concoction compared to the original of equal parts bourbon, amaro, Aperol, and lemon juice. I might make a quart of it and save for a cocktail party, but under present conditions, that's not happening any time soon.

mimsmom

And it is not hard at all for some to take everything too seriously. Seriously.

Clayton

Made a single by halving the recipe. It’s a lil sweet so I’ll try slightly more grapefruit or even grapefruit bitters to balance. Used lairds applejack

Suzanne

Used 1/4 tsp brown sugar, calvados and Braulio a

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Credits

Adapted from Drew Furlough, District 42, Asheville, N.C.

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