The Next Round: What happens after you change your drinking?
The Next Round: What happens after you change your drinking?
It’s Negroni Week, so what better time for us to share our recommendations for the best alcohol-free Negroni? The Negroni is an Italian cocktail made by mixing equal parts gin, vermouth, and Campari and usually garnished with orange peel. It falls under the aperitivo umbrella, a drink usually enjoyed before a meal, often with appetisers. This cocktail is intense in flavour, you can expect strong bitterness, often with herbal notes, balanced by sweet citrus fruit character. It’s incredibly easy to make, consisting of just three ingredients, with the classic garnish being a twist of orange peel, or a slice of orange if you don’t trust your knife skills.
Remember also that you can make low alcohol cocktails if you are not choosing to stop drinking altogether but would like to cut down. Negroni is usually made up of equal measures of gin, sweet vermouth, and Campari. You could try replacing the vermouth and the gin with alcohol-free alternatives and still use full-strength Campari, for example, you may just need to play around with the quantities to find the right balance. When it comes to mixing alcohol-free cocktails, it isn’t always as simple as replacing alcoholic products with equal measures of alcohol-free ones, so remember to experiment and play around to find your perfect serve if you’re using your own combination of products.
You might like to take some inspiration from the many recipes available on the Negroni Week website. While these are alcoholic they may give you the confidence to try mixing up your own Negroni and variations thereof. Below are some of our favourite products and recipes for the best alcohol-free Negroni.
Lyre’s classic negroni uses just three products:
One part (30mL/ 1 Fl Oz) Lyre’s Dry London Spirit
One part (30mL/ 1 Fl Oz) Lyre’s Italian Orange
One part(30mL/ 1 Fl Oz) Lyre’s Aperitif Rosso
Simply mix these in a rocks glass over ice and garnish with a twist of orange peel. If you want to experiment with different variations, they have some fantastic recipes on their website, including one using a pink gin, one with a touch of coffee, and even a pineapple sour Negroni.
Anon Bittersweet Aperitif is designed for spritzing, mixing and negroni-making with its bitter flavours of orange, citrus, and herbs. This recipe requires 50ml of Anon Bittersweet Aperitif, 50ml Pentire Adrift, and 50ml of Martini Vibrante. Simply mix over ice, stir gently, and garnish with an orange peel twist.
The Sbagliato is a variation on the Negroni using prosecco instead of gin. We think that High Point Ruby Aperitif works wonderfully in this recipe, with its herbal aroma, bittersweet citrus notes, and spice.
25ml High Point Ruby Aperitif
25ml Martini Vibrante
25ml Thomson & Scott Noughty
Fill a tumbler with ice and add your Ruby Aperitif and Martini Vibrante, stirring slowly. Now add your prosecco, pouring slowly to prevent it from fizzing over the glass. Garnish with a wedge of orange.
If you love the sound of a Sbagliato but don’t fancy making it yourself, this easy-serve Negroni Spritz from Square Root might be just what you’re looking for. It’s complex, with spice and sharp acidity, perfect for slinging in your cool box when you head out to picnics or camping trips, or if you’re drinking at home you can serve it over ice with orange rind. Square Root only use natural flavours, and every drink is handcrafted at their site in Hackney.
Seedlip sells a delicious premixed alcohol-free NOgroni. Simply serve over ice and garnish with orange. However, if Seedlip and Æcorn products are something you have in your drinks cupboard already, you can mix one up yourself using the ingredients below:
25ml Seedlip Spice 94
25ml Æcorn Bitter
25ml Æcorn Aromatic
Fill your tumbler with ice and pour your ingredients over it, stirring carefully. Garnish with a wedge of orange or a twist of orange peel.
Have we missed your favourite recipe? Get in touch and let us know. We love to shop with Wise Bartender for our alcohol-free drinks, and recommend you check them out to find more amazing aperitivos, gins, and vermouth-style products to make an alcohol-free Negroni.
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