Nonalcoholic Negroni

By Dan Pelosi

Published Sept. 30, 2025

Nonalcoholic Negroni
Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. Prop Stylist: Megan Hedgpeth.
Total Time
2¼ hours
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes, plus 2 hours’ cooling
Rating
5(686)
Comments
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It can be difficult to find a nonalcoholic version of the classic Negroni that captures the complex flavor notes without involving the use of pricy nonalcoholic spirits. This recipe, adapted from my cookbook “Let’s Party” (Union Square & Co., 2025), cracks the code by using a common pantry ingredient: hibiscus tea. It features grapefruit juice for bitterness, tea for floral and tannic notes, a little sugar for sweetness and black peppercorns for that subtle, satisfying tingle.

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Ingredients

Yield:6 to 8 drinks
  • 1medium navel orange
  • 10hibiscus tea bags, such as Celestial Seasonings Red Zinger
  • 1tablespoon whole black peppercorns
  • 1tablespoon whole cloves
  • ½cup sugar
  • 2(12-ounce) cans tonic
  • 1cup unsweetened grapefruit juice
  • Ice, for serving
  • Orange wedges, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)

109 calories; 1 gram fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 0 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 27 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 24 grams sugars; 1 gram protein; 15 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Use a vegetable peeler to peel the orange, avoiding as much white pith as possible. In a small saucepan, combine the orange peel with the tea bags, peppercorns, cloves and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil over high heat.

  2. Step 2

    Add the sugar and cook, stirring, until dissolved, about 1 minute. Cover, remove from the heat and let cool completely, about 2 hours. Strain the tea and discard the solids. The cooled, brewed tea can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

  3. Step 3

    To serve, in a large pitcher, stir together the tea, tonic water, grapefruit juice and about 1 cup ice. Divide among rocks glasses filled with ice and garnish with orange wedges.

Tip
  • To make one serving, fill a rocks glass with ice. Pour in 1 ounce of grapefruit juice, 2 ounces of the tea and 3 ounces of tonic water; stir to mix. Garnish with an orange wedge.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
686 user ratings
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Comments

sf cook

There is a non-alcoholic substitute for Campari. It is Sanbitter, made in Italy. It can be purchased in the US and is nearly indistinguishable from Campari. Highly recommend it. Just pop open the bottle and use. They also have an Aperol substitute.

BJ

Many of my friends will not drink grapefruit juice because grapefruit and its juice interfere with the medications they use. Is there any other juice that would be suitable in this recipe?

Donna Grauer

@BJ I use Fresca for my mocktail and bitters . And why are we not calling this a phony Negroni.?

Melinda

I added only one tablespoon of sugar. The tonic water and the grapefruit juice added enough sweetness. I use 2 shots of grapefruit juice to 1 shot of the mixture and top with the tonic. Refreshing

Claudio

If you have access to Caribbean ingredients, 4 ounces of Jamaican sorrel (Hibiscus sabdariffa) blooms is far less expensive than Celestial Seasonings teabags. The longer it steeps, the more of a bitter taste it introduces. We've taken to referring to the product od Step 1 as "Sorrel chai" and it's become an ingredient in other cocktails. For those who still want to add a little alcohol to this drink, one ounce of Bombay Sapphire or equivalent provides a perfect balance.

Melinda Mariano

This is surprising good. couldn't find red zinger so used lemon zinger. it worked.

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Credits

Adapted from “Let’s Party” by Dan Pelosi (Union Square & Co., 2025)

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