Non-Alcoholic Negroni (NAgroni)

The Negroni is the aperitif par excellence, a herbal, refreshingly bittersweet summer-in-a-glass cocktail. This non-alcoholic version is almost as satisfying as the classic, and its balance of botanicals, flavors and citrus lives up to the original.

How do you balance the character and substance of a true London Dry Gin, the backbone of the classic Negroni? Alcoholic beverages have an aftertaste (or lingering aftertaste) that is not easily replicated in non-alcoholic versions. A drinkable something is easy enough — and most of my attempts at light, very subtle infusions have been just that — but if you want the feel of sipping an actual cocktail, you need to figure out that finish.

To create this non-alcoholic Negroni, I had to find an alternative to gin (our base spirit) that had substance as well as an alcohol-like finish. Our solution was to pair the restrained but resonant bitterness of Monday Gin with the grape and fig notes of Ghia’s bittersweet aperitif.

The latter has a touch more power and body in flavor than most of the many, many infusions available, and complements Monday’s refined, dry flavors. From there, all you have to do is add some sweetness and a hint of citrus, and you have a viable Negroni. In fact, I’ve had more than a few.

The best NA alcohols for this recipe

This recipe calls for several non-alcoholic ingredients that combine to make an amazing drink.

• Monday’s gin alternative is our base spirit and offered by far the best balance of taste and finish. While it would be difficult to replace it with a “sipping gin” to drink alone, it held up surprisingly well as a base. Its delicate bitterness and brightness provided just the finish needed and proved adaptable to a wide range of recipes.
• Ghia is our somewhat inspired choice for a Campari replacement. Its bold gentian and grape flavors and hint (and weight) of fig added a hint of bitterness and a significant amount of “body” to the cocktail.
• Blutul’s Rosso (Red) Vermouth and Stirrings Blood Orange Bitters both act as a sort of Greek chorus for our base spirit and modifier, making the “story” told by the gin and aperitif not only tasty but sufficiently sweet. In this case, each is essentially a vermouth, with stirring adding a bit of the orange you’d normally get from the Campari. You can forego one or the other if you want or need to, using 1/2 ounce more of what you keep.

CONTINUE READING! The Best Non-Alcoholic Spirits for Building a Sober Bar

Other ways to use these spirits

This gin works very well as a substitute for some drinks and not so much for simpler concoctions like a gimlet. You’ll get the best results if you build on top of that with delicious modifiers like berries, a sweetened ginger syrup, or other alternative vermouths.

More great mocktails to try

• Wintery spiced orange mocktail
• Earl Gray Tea & Tonics
• Virgin pomegranate citrus sangria
• Hibiscus Spritz
• Pear Ginger Bush