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. It’s a great set of non-alcoholic spirits to pair in a mocktail like this one, with cherries. A perfect drink for summer nights!
Non-alcoholic Campari
One of the highlights of the mocktail world is how well bitter liquers 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. 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 our 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 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.
