Cherry No-groni Mocktail
/This non-alcoholic cocktail is part boulavardier and part negroni - for a marriage made in mocktail heaven!
A negroni is a super strong cocktail made with Campari, gin and dark vermouth. This mocktail isn’t exactly a traditional negroni, but it has similar properties using bourbon and campari and cherries in place of the vermouth.
I almost wish I had known about the bourbon and Campari combo before I stopped drinking because, wow. This flavour combo is pretty incredible if you don’t like sweet drinks, but also don’t love super bitter cocktails. It’s a perfect balance of sweet and bitter.
If you haven’t tried it, you don’t need to drink alcohol to make this drink. It’s a great set of non-alcoholic spirits to pair in a mocktail like this one with cherries. It’s a really grown-up drink and I love it because it really tastes like a cocktail, but without the alcohol. It’s not a sugary sweet “mocktail”.
I also loved making the ice cubes with the cherries frozen in them - it adds a nice touch if you’re serving guests!
Non-alcoholic Campari
One of the highlights of the mocktail world is how well bitter liqueurs and aperitifs translate into the low-proof or zero proof version. There are so many excellent options out there but Novara by Bark & Bitter is at the top of our list. (**My list of BEST non-alcoholic aperitifs can be found here!)
It’s an amazing Campari dupe from Canada, but if you don’t have that bottle on your dry bar cart, try Wilderton Bitter Aperitivo from Oregon. It uses foraged ingredients from wilderness around its distillery and is an incredible liquid.
Both can be paired really nicely with other spirits, but can also be drunk on its own with seltzer as a spritz.
And with cherries - chefs kiss!!
Which non-alcoholic bourbon to use
The Free Spirits Bourbon has always been at the top of the list when it comes to quality in this category - here’s my full list of top non-alcoholic whiskeys and bourbons.
One thing to consider when trying to replicate a cocktail with minimal ingredients is the ratio and the mouthfeel. Some non-alcoholic whiskeys are fiery and bold, but they’re also thin and viscous which doesn’t make it pleasant to drink in a recipe like a manhattan or an old fashioned.
Free Spirits Spirit of Bourbon is one of only a few options that really add some heft or weight to a mocktail, which is what alcohol usually brings to the party and what is missing in a lot of n/a spirits.
Let’s make a Cherry No-groni Mocktail
Ingredients
1/2 cup cherries
1/2 oz lemon juice
2 oz Novarro Aperitif
2 oz Free Spirits Spirit of Bourbon
Dash of ATB alcohol-free New Orleans bitters
Preparation
Muddle cherries and lemon juice in a shaker
Add aperitif, bourbon and bitters
Add ice and shake until chilled
Strain into fresh glass with large square ice cubes
Garnish with a cherry
Cheers & enjoy!
Cherry Negroni Mocktail
This is a very grown up mocktail, using non-alcohollic bourbon, non-alcoholic campari and cherries for a bitter and sweet cocktail.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup cherries
- 1/2 oz lemon juice
- 2 oz Novarro Aperitif
- 2 oz Free Spirits Spirit of Bourbon
- Dash of ATB alcohol-free New Orleans bitters
Instructions
- Muddle cherries and lemon juice in a shaker
- Add aperitif, bourbon and bitters
- Add ice and shake until chilled
- Strain into fresh glass with large square ice cubes
- Garnish with a fresh cherry
