Latest news with #Attaboy
New York Post
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Inside 2025's ‘drink of the year' — from the NYC bar owner who invented it: ‘Very unique and different'
Here's something worthy of a toast. The bourbon-based cocktail crowned Food 52's 'drink of the year' is finally getting its moment in the spotlight two decades after its creator mixed it the first time in a Big Apple bar. The pink-hued 'Paper Plane,' first crafted at what is now Attaboy on the Lower East Side, has reached new heights due to its ability to balance 'the Holy Trinity of bitter, sweet and sour,' creator Sam Ross, 42, told The Post. Advertisement 'If you can balance all that, it has a weird, amazing sort of pleasantry to it.' 4 The Paper Plane, a bourbon-based concoction crowned Food 52's 'drink of the year' for 2025, hails from none other than New York City – and is finally getting its moment in the spotlight after nearly two decades, according to the drink's creator Sam Ross. Tamara Beckwith The tangy, bright beverage's versatility and ease to make has allowed it to gradually take flight across generations, genders and experience level, he added — and has gotten so popular in the last year that it's been canned for home bars across the US as of last year. Advertisement 'It's the sum of its parts, It doesn't taste like any one ingredient individually,' the Australian-born New York bartender said. 'Once you get it into the glass, you actually realize you're tasting something very unique and different.' Ross first crafted the concoction in 2007 at his tucked-away bar – formerly called Milk & Honey – while he was tasked with creating a signature drink for a bar out in Chicago called The Violet Hour. The drink was inspired by a bottle of Amaro Nonino gifted to Ross by a friend, he said, and aptly named his creation for M.I.A.'s indie-rap hit 'Paper Planes.' Aside from equal parts bourbon and the Italian liqueur, the spirit-forward cocktail also features Aperol and lemon juice. 'I just fell in love with it immediately,' Ross said. 'I created this drink because I wanted people to experience Amaro Nonino.' Advertisement And despite it first appearing on a Chicago bar's menu, the beverage 'definitely holds a New York immigration card,' the bartender stated. 4 Aside from bourbon, the cocktail also features equal parts aperol, amaro and lemon juice, which Ross describes as 'the Holy Trinity of bitter, sweet and sour. Tamara Beckwith The resulting cocktail helped Ross – also known for inventing the Penicillin – land on the map of modern cocktail tastemakers, but it also helped the 127-year-old Amaro brand stick the landing in cocktail scenes around the world, according to sixth-generation distiller Francesca Bardelli Nonino. 'The United States sets the trend for [not only] movies and TV shows, but also for cocktails,' Bardelli Nonino, 35, said — adding she's toasted with Amaro lovers in Japan, Spain, Italy and the United Kingdom thanks to the success of the Paper Plane. 'In Italy, most of the time you first start to appreciate a product by itself and then in a cocktail, but in the United States you first appreciate it in a cocktail.' Advertisement To Bardelli Nonino, the celebration is personal, as the grappa-based liqueur traces its roots back to her great-grandfather's recipe from Friuli, Italy. 'The paper plane put together Italian culture and American culture – and I think people realized then, 'this is delicious, I want to know more about the other ingredients,'' she said, raising a glass at an inaugural Paper Plane Week event at Attaboy. 4 'The United States sets the trend for [not only] movies and TV shows, but also for cocktails,' Bardelli Nonino, 35, said. Tamara Beckwith Ross added the drink is a crowd pleaser as it's easy to make given its equal parts recipe only requires four ingredients and is 'self-policing' – in that it's immediately apparent if it was made incorrectly because of its signature pink hue and ample froth. 'All the 'modern classics' have to be somewhat simple to make – we're not talking about strange infusions or crazy techniques that take a long time,' Ross said. 'If you want to be able to be made, especially at home bars it has to be things that are very approachable … and I think it's just straight up delicious.' 4 Paper Plane Week at Attaboy in the Lower East Side, Manhattan. Tamara Beckwith Ross credits the dawn of the Facebook age for the Paper Plane's initial popularity among bartenders in the late aughts, but he believes the drink's versatility has been able to keep its humble profile steadily gliding over the years. The Attaboy co-owner notes he's pushing a newer take on the cocktail — dubbed a Mosquito with mezcal, Campari, fresh ginger and lemon — that he hopes to be met with similar fanfare. Advertisement 'It kind of startles me, each year it seems to get more and more popular,' Ross said of his Paper Plane. 'It doesn't have a singular market. 'When you think of a whiskey cocktail, you're automatically going to be thinking whiskey sours, Manhattans, old fashioneds,' he added. 'These are powerful, potent drinks — and this one isn't that.'
Forbes
10-04-2025
- Business
- Forbes
The Allure Of The Tiny Wine Bar
With a small space comes great responsibility when curating an overall vibe. Cameron Wilder In a city crowded with noise, space and spectacle, the rise of the tiny wine bar signals a quieter kind of hospitality. Often no larger than a studio apartment, these small-scale venues are cropping up in major cities across the U.S., modeled on the informal intimacy of European drinking establishments. Typically under 500 square feet, they are designed for slower, more attentive encounters—with wine, with food, with strangers. They serve fewer people at a time, often with fewer items on the menu. But in their constraints, they find clarity. 'The inspiration for Good Guy's came from our many trips to European countries, where we fell in love with tapas bars of Barcelona and quaint wine bars of Paris,' says co-owner Sam Ross, at the 500-square-foot bar on Manhattan's Lower East Side, adding the team wanted to create something totally different from their first venture, Attaboy, next door. In these rooms, designed for slowness and intent, the experience is more than a drink—it's a mood, a conversation, sometimes even a connection. 'It encourages interaction,' says Aisa Shelley, who runs Casetta, a tiny wine bar also in New York's Lower East Side. 'That closeness builds community.' At 350 square feet, Saint Urban's in Charleston, South Carolina is structured to resemble a private parlor. 'It feels more like you're in a dear friend's home rather than a bar,' says co-owner Warren Johnson, via email. 'My staff and I feel very strongly about our relationships with our guests. We cherish them and hope they feel at home with us.' Saint Urban's in Charleston, South Carolina Cameron Wilder In these bars, design is not just decoration. Every decision carries weight. Lighting must flatter but not overwhelm. Seating must be comfortable but compact. Furniture must perform more than one function. 'Everything has to earn its place,' Shelley says. 'We choose pieces that are beautiful but also durable, compact but comfortable. Banquettes might lift up for hidden storage; wine racks double as visual displays.' The balance between aesthetics and efficiency, she says, is a requirement, not a preference. 'The trick is making practical choices feel effortless—like the space was always meant to look and work that way.' This approach extends to the menu, which often favors short lists of carefully selected wines, paired with light snacks that require little equipment or prep. 'We wanted a quality menu filled with innovative spritzes, natural wines, non-alcoholic options and apéro-inspired snacks,' Ross says. 'Something for everyone, but still approachable and not too lengthy of a list, which gets rotated seasonally.' Johnson agrees. 'We're extremely picky about what comes through our doors so sourcing is key. I'm constantly trying to stay up-to-date and our products, especially our cheeses, change weekly.' That restraint isn't limiting. It allows more intentionality. With fewer choices comes greater consideration. With less space comes more awareness. 'This means having to have a smaller menu,' Ross says. 'Instead of being overwhelmed by choices, guests can trust a thoughtfully selected list that highlights quality and unique finds. This allows for deeper storytelling about each wine and producer, enhancing the experience.' Though overall wine consumption in the United States has slowed in recent years, the growth of small-format wine bars suggests a shift in how people engage with drinking culture. The U.S. wine bar industry was valued at $3.1 billion in 2024, according to IBISWorld, despite a projected 3.0% decline in revenue that year. Yet certain corners of the industry continue to expand. A 2025 report from Wine Enthusiast found that the top quartile of wineries saw revenue increases averaging 22%, even as the overall category shrank by 3.4%. In some cities, the tiny wine bar model is driving that growth. In the Bay Area alone, 16 new wine bars opened in the past year, many emphasizing curated selections, stripped-down food menus and lower overhead—a business model that has proved sustainable and appealing to a clientele seeking smaller, more deliberate experiences. A small footprint also changes how people interact—with each other and with the space. 'It creates a kind of built-in warmth,' Shelley says. 'In a tiny space, people feel closer—to each other, to the staff, to the action behind the bar. There's a sense of being 'let in' on something special.' Ross notes how this proximity shapes the atmosphere. 'The small footprint naturally fosters a more intimate and convivial setting, encouraging conversation and a sense of community among guests.' Design decisions reflect that. Music volume must allow for conversation. Lighting must invite lingering. 'In a smaller space, every detail is amplified,' Ross says. 'This allows for a more intentional focus on creating a cohesive sensory experience—from the tactile feel of the glassware to the dimly lit artwork.' At Saint Urban's, those details are calibrated nightly. 'Our space is very moody and primarily lit by candlelight with very subtle accents throughout,' Johnson says. 'The sound required a lot of thought—there's nothing worse than an evening out and not being able to carry on a conversation.' Good Guy's in New York City. Good Guy's The look and feel of these bars draw heavily from abroad. But their adaptation is local. 'Our space was intentionally inspired by European Aperitivo culture,' Ross says. 'There's almost a 'non-committal' aspect to dining like a European, where you can pop into somewhere for a glass of wine or two, have a few bites and be on your way, or linger for a while where you don't feel like you have to rush out.' That freedom appeals to diners weary of overbooked tasting menus or cavernous cocktail lounges. Shelley puts it plainly: 'There's a craving right now for spaces that feel human-scale—that offer something genuine and analog in a world that often feels overstimulated.' Practicalities also play a role. In cities where real estate is limited, smaller venues are often easier to operate. 'Tiny means cozy,' Johnson says. 'Human scale feels good whether people realize it or not. Tucking into a snug feels like a hug, and we all need a bit more of that.'
