Crafting the Perfect Non-Alcoholic Negroni
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It’s Negroni week - a week to celebrate the booziest of boozy cocktails, unless you have an alcohol-free lifestyle, right? Wrong. You may never have had the pleasure of drinking one of these Italian cocktails, and may not even think to ask, but making a non-alcoholic negroni is totally possible. Just like with real booze though, products and bottles come and go, so we revisited the classic with updated options for 2023. And we think its pretty darn close to the the real thing - and possibly even better!
A negroni uses an equal ratio of sweet vermouth, gin and a bitter aperitif like Campari and a dash of alcohol-free bitters. Thankfully, in the non-alcoholic products category, there are a lot of really great aperitifs and non-alcoholic spirits to experiment with. There are probably dozens of different product combinations you could use in a zero proof negroni.
With simple cocktails you need to use the most premium of ingredients because there’s nowhere to hide, and the same goes for mocktails so here is a non-alcoholic Negroni we think wonderfully replicates the layered complexity of a Negroni.
Vermouth: Pathfinder, 2 oz.
Non-alcoholic vermouths aren’t quite there yet so we’re using something different for this recipe. Pathfinder is a bittersweet amaro with a complex personality. It’s made from hemp and it’s herbal and strong and has a real bite! It’s not vermouth but that’s ok. Pathfinder should be an essential for a non-alcoholic negroni. You can find it through The Sobr Market in Canada($50) or direct from The Pathfinder’s website in the U.S.
Bitter aperitif: Abstinence Aperitif, 2 oz.
Campari and Aperol are not the same, and a negroni usually uses Campari. However, because the Pathfinder is so bitter, we like to use Abstinence aperitif in place of the Campari. It’s more similar to an Aperol, slightly sweet with a nice orange bitterness which is a perfect counterpoint to the other herbal ingredients.
Gin: Sobrii 0-gin, 2 oz.
For the gin, the Sobrii 0-gin is a game changer. Its herbal kick is just what this grown-up drink needs. A lot of zero proof gins would not be able to stand up in a cocktail with Pathfinder but Sobrii can hold its own. If you don’t have this on your bar cart or back bar, you need to get a bottle.
Bitters: All The Bitter Aromatic Bitters
A negroni is already bitter, but adding a dash or two of All The Bitter Aromatic Bitters to your drink elevates it even more. You won’t be bitter about adding this to your classic non-alcoholic negroni!
Orange twist garnish:
This isn’t just a fancy bartender thing. Twisting an orange peel over your drink expresses a spritz of orange oil from the skin that really enhances the flavour of the cocktail. If you really want to have the full non-alcoholic negroni experience, this is a must. Just peel a thin strip off an orange with a peeler (make sure not to get too much white underneath) and twist it over your glass before you drop it in (or hang it over the side).
The above combo is probably the most perfect non-alcoholic dupe for a really strong negroni, so I hope you’ll try it. Cin Cin from our dry bar to yours and let us know what your taste buds are telling you!
Non-alcoholic Negroni
Ingredients
- 2 oz. Pathfinder non-alcoholic vermouth
- 2 oz. Abstinence Apertif bitter apertif
- 2 oz. Sobrii 0-gin
- Orange twist (for garnish)
Instructions
- Combine the non-alcoholic vermouth, bitter apertif and gin in a mixing glass with ie and stir with a bar spoon to chill.
- Strain into a rocks glass with fresh ice.
- Peel a thin strip of orange peel off an orange with a peeler (make sure not to get too much white underneath or it's too bitter).
- Twist the orange peel strip over your glass to express the orange oils, and then drop it into your glass (or hang it over the side as a garnish).
