Phony Negroni vs Curious Elixirs: One Cocktail, Done Right
Curious Elixirs helped define the modern non-alcoholic cocktail category, with a broad range of bottled cocktails (Curious No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, and more) covering a spectrum of classic cocktail formats. For drinkers who want variety across the lineup, and who appreciate adaptogenic ingredients integrated into the recipes, Curious Elixirs offers a deep catalog to explore. The brand has been an important presence in the category’s growth.
The Phony Negroni is a more focused product. One architecture, the non-alcoholic Negroni, built to the highest possible standard within that specific cocktail. Four variations exist: the classic Phony Negroni, the Phony White Negroni, the Phony Mezcal Negroni, and the Phony Espresso Negroni. All are Negronis in the structural sense: bitter, botanical, red, designed to be served over ice with an expressed orange peel and drunk slowly.
If the Negroni is the cocktail you care about, the Phony Negroni was designed for that preference.
Which One Fits You
Choose Curious Elixirs if: you want range across cocktail formats in one brand. You appreciate functional ingredients (adaptogens, tonic herbs) layered into the recipes. You enjoy trying multiple cocktail archetypes and want a lineup that spans different occasions.
Choose the Phony Negroni if: you have a favorite cocktail, and it is the Negroni. You want a non-alcoholic version that treats the Negroni with the seriousness it deserves, built to the structural standards of the original rather than adapted to fit a broader wellness platform. You are comfortable with the specialist path over the generalist one.
The Phony Negroni lineup.
Brooklyn-made. Whole-botanical. Shop the range.
Phony Bundle
Pick your own mix across the full non-alcoholic range: Phony Negroni, White, Mezcal, Espresso, and Amaro Falso. Bottles or cans, 6 / 12 / 24.
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Phony White Negroni
Near-clear, Champagne-hue Negroni. Amplified citrus and gentian, clarified for a celebration pour.
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Phony Negroni
The flagship. Bitter-sweet, juniper-forward, red, and poured over one large ice cube.
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Phony Mezcal Negroni
Smoke, citrus, herbal depth. A mezcal-inspired Negroni, non-alcoholic.
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Phony Espresso Negroni
Coffee, cacao, bitter orange. The after-dinner bottle.
ShopFree shipping on orders over $100. Ships to all 50 states. Non-alcoholic.
Why the Phony Negroni Focuses on One Cocktail
The Negroni is a hard cocktail to reproduce without alcohol. Harder than a Margarita, harder than a Paloma, harder than almost any other classic, because the Negroni’s flavor architecture is built on bitterness, and bitterness without ethanol requires more careful extraction, more patience in production, and more thought about the interplay of sweetness, body, and carbonation. A brand that builds a non-alcoholic cocktail lineup across many formats has to make compromises somewhere, because each format requires different production techniques.
The Phony White Negroni earned SFWSC Double Gold with 98 points at the 2025 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, alongside the Phony Mezcal Negroni at the same level. The flagship Phony Negroni holds SFWSC Platinum 2024, the first-ever Platinum awarded to a non-alcoholic product by the competition.
Specialization is a trade-off. You can drink a Phony Negroni. You can drink a Phony Mezcal, Phony White, or Phony Espresso for variation within the family. You cannot drink a Phony Paloma or a Phony Martini from St. Agrestis, because those cocktails are not part of the focus. For drinkers who want the single best non-alcoholic Negroni, that focus is the feature.
The Evidence
1,500+ five-star reviews. Sustained consumer satisfaction across years of commercial sales.
2.5x retail velocity advantage in Spins syndicated data. Of the non-alcoholic negronis Spins tracks, the Phony Negroni sells more than 2.5 times faster than the next closest competitor. When drinkers walk into a grocery store and pick a non-alcoholic negroni from the shelf, the Phony is the one they typically choose.
SFWSC Double Gold, 98 points, 2025 for the Phony White Negroni and Phony Mezcal Negroni. Judged against traditional alcoholic spirits by a panel of spirits professionals.
8,000+ bars and restaurants. On-premise placements at serious cocktail programs across the United States.
Retail at Target, Wegmans, Harris Teeter, Erewhon. National footprint across the channels that reach a broad share of American households.
Production
Made in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, by St. Agrestis, an amaro and aperitivo house that started in 2014. The production process combines maceration and vacuum distillation over a multi-week cycle using whole botanicals (gentian root, bitter orange peel, juniper, coriander, and others). The finished product is carbonated, packaged in 200ml bottles or cans, and kept below 0.05% ABV. The ingredient list leaves off flavor concentrates, adaptogens, and other functional botanicals. Straight non-alcoholic Negroni.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Phony Negroni similar to Curious Elixirs?
Both are non-alcoholic cocktail products, although the approach differs substantially. Curious Elixirs offers a range of non-alcoholic cocktail formats (Negroni-style, Margarita-style, and others) with adaptogens and functional botanicals integrated into the recipes. The Phony Negroni is focused specifically on the non-alcoholic Negroni, without adaptogens, built to the structural standards of a traditional Florentine Negroni. Drinkers who want a broad cocktail range often prefer Curious Elixirs. Drinkers who want the single best non-alcoholic Negroni typically prefer the Phony.
Does the Phony Negroni have adaptogens?
No. The Phony Negroni is built from traditional cocktail botanicals only (gentian root, bitter orange peel, juniper, coriander, and aromatics) without adaptogens or functional ingredients. The design goal is cocktail architecture rather than functional benefit.
Is it bitter?
Yes. Bitterness is the defining feature of a Negroni, and the Phony Negroni delivers it honestly. For drinkers familiar with Campari or traditional Italian aperitivi, the profile reads as correct. For drinkers new to bitter cocktails, the first sip can feel assertive, and drinkers typically acclimate by the third.
What variations exist within the Phony Negroni line?
Four: the classic Phony Negroni, the Phony White Negroni (2025 SFWSC Double Gold), the Phony Mezcal Negroni, and the Phony Espresso Negroni. All are Negronis in the structural sense. Each offers a distinct flavor angle within the family.
Where can I buy it?
Direct from stagrestis.com with free shipping on orders over $100, at Target (600+ stores), Wegmans, Harris Teeter, Erewhon, and at over 8,000 bars and restaurants nationally.