If you’re bored of having another Club soda with some lime or trying to avoid the sugar in a Shirley Temple, then you’ll want to try this ready-to-drink non-alcoholic Negroni alternative by Brooklyn-based distillery St. Agrestis.
Created as an alcohol-free version of their popular alcoholic Negroni – the name “Phony Negroni” made me chuckle – this Negroni alternative comes in the classic St. Agrestis conical bottle and uses the same herb and citrus formula.
Read on as I share my tasting notes in this St Agrestis Phony Negroni review, and find out where you can buy it.
A Quick Look At St Agrestis Phony Negroni
St Agrestis Phony Negroni is a non-alcoholic Negroni created by Brooklyn distiller St. Agrestis. While they are known for their alcoholic Negroni, aperitivos, and amaros, this alcohol-free Negroni features the same herb and citrus blend as the original, as well as its signature garnet-red hue.
Traditionally, a Negroni is made out of 1 part Campari, 1 part sweet vermouth, and 1 part gin. To create the Phony Negroni, St. Agrestis utilizes raw botanicals such as herbs and citrus, which are typically steeped in alcohol for their standard bottled negronis.
However, for this non-alcoholic iteration, they steep the same botanicals in water using techniques akin to making tea, according to co-founder Louie Catizone.
St Agrestis Phony Negroni Review
Looks
If I didn’t know I was pouring a non-alcoholic Negroni, I would think it is the original drink. Phony Negroni pours like a traditional Negroni, with that beautiful garnet-red color.
Aroma
On the nose, I can smell notes of rosemary, citrus fruits like orange and grapefruit, and some smokey herbal notes. Without the dominating smell of alcohol, I can really get the sense of each individual aroma.
Taste: With Ice
Since Negronis are usually served on the rocks, I decided to taste St Agrestis Phony Negroni on the rocks for an authentic comparison (although on the website, they state that you can drink it straight from the bottle or over ice).
Tasting the Phony Negroni, most of the notes I smelled carried through in the taste, although the smokiness is reduced on the palate.
The flavor is bittersweet and tart with lots of citrus flavor, although the juniper notes are barely noticeable.
Overall, I thought it tasted less bitter and a little sweeter than a traditional Negroni, a bitter cocktail with well-balanced fruity sweetness. Here, I found the vermouth flavors to be weaker.
The added carbonation adds some enjoyable liveliness to the tongue, even if carbonation is not traditionally found in a Negroni.
St Agrestis Phony Negroni Ingredients
St Agrestis Phony Negroni is made from: Carbonated water, sugar, allulose, natural flavor, citric acid, fruit juice, phosphoric acid, and quinine.
Quinine is an ingredient commonly found in tonic water and some pregnant women avoid quinine as there have been known cases of side effects for their babies.
We recommend speaking with your doctor before drinking St Agrestis Phony Negroni or any tonic water, and try these non-alcoholic drinks for pregnancy instead.
St Agrestis Phony Negroni Calories
Each bottle of St Agrestis Phony Negroni (6.8 fl oz / 200mL) has 90 calories and 15 grams of carbohydrates, of which 15 grams are added sugar.
If you’re looking for a diabetic-friendly non-alcoholic drink, skip this non-alcoholic Negroni because it has a high amount of added sugar.
Final Verdict Of Our St Agrestis Phony Negroni Review
I enjoyed drinking St Agrestis Phony Negroni and it is a delicious non-alcoholic Negroni alternative.
I love that it comes in a ready-to-drink bottle that I can bring along for picnics or outings, and the flavors are close enough to resemble a real Negroni. If you’re a Negroni fan, I think you will enjoy this drink.
Like I mentioned above, I wished the juniper notes was stronger, so I added more non-alcoholic gin to bring out the gin notes (my favorite non-alcoholic is Dhos Gin Free and it has a strong juniper taste).
Where to Buy St Agrestis Phony Negroni
I ordered mine from Proof No More. If you’re in the United States, you can order St Agrestis Phony Negroni from our favorite online retailer Proof No More.
We hope you enjoyed our St Agrestis Phony Negroni review. If you’re craving even more non-alcoholic spirits reviews, click below:
A tasty ready-to-drink non-alcoholic Negroni alternative, although the juniper could be stronger.