Brother Wolf founders Aaron Thompson and Jessica “Rabbit” King learned Italy’s aperitivo culture in Rome and Milan

before bringing the concept of low ABV cocktails and small plates to Knoxville, Tennessee. But you can enjoy this non-alcoholic spin on a classic Negroni in your own living room. All you need are a few special ingredients easily found online, and you’ll soon forget you aren’t drinking the real thing.

“The Negroni has an iconic flavor comprised of three distinctive ingredients, each of which is difficult to replicate without spirits,” King explains. “The non-alcoholic world, however, is larger and more vast than it has ever been, and there are many options.”

Brother Wolf founders Aaron Thompson and Jessica King

For King’s Faux-Groni, Thompson replaced gin with Seedlip Spice 94, an NA “spirit” infused with many flavors found in a London dry. Versin stands in place of the usual Rosso Vermouth, and bittersweet Campari is improvised with Sanbitter by Pellegrino, a bright red soda delivering a bitter, herbal flavor. The drink is rounded out with a few drops of orange oil, bringing the mocktail a bit closer to the real thing.

Photo courtesy of Brother Wolf

What you’ll need:
1 oz. Seedlip Spice 94
1 oz. Versin
1 oz. 1 oz. San Pellegrino Sanbitter
2 dashes Orange Oil

How To Make It:
Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass, add ice and stir. Strain over fresh ice in a rocks glass and garnish with an orange wheel.

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