Non-Alcoholic Aperitifs
Short answer: a non-alcoholic aperitif is a bitter or dry drink for the hour before dinner, meant to wake up your appetite rather than fill you up. Serve it cold over ice in a rocks glass, with a citrus peel and something salty on the side. The St. Agrestis bottles to start with are the Phony Negroni, Phony White Negroni and Amaro Falso, all under 0.5% ABV.
What makes a drink an aperitif
An aperitif is poured before dinner, and in the Italian tradition it leans bitter or dry. The idea is that bitterness wakes up the appetite, where a sweet drink blunts it. Taking the alcohol out doesn't change that job, so judge a non-alcoholic aperitif the same way: after a few sips, you should want food.
How to choose one
Bitter or sweet
Start with bitterness, and check the ingredients for where it comes from. Gentian root is a traditional bitter in Italian aperitivi, and it is a key botanical in all three St. Agrestis bottles below. Some sweetness is normal, because it rounds off the bitter, but if sugar is the first thing you taste, the drink will fight the food instead of setting it up.
Sparkling or still
This one is a matter of taste. In the Phony Negroni, light carbonation adds texture and a bite that stands in for the alcohol. If you want an aperitif longer and lighter, top it with soda water. The Phony Negroni recipe guide makes a spritz with 4 ounces of Phony Negroni and 4 ounces of soda.
Ready to pour or mixed
You can build a non-alcoholic aperitif from separate bottles, the way you would a cocktail, or buy one that is made ready to serve. The St. Agrestis bottles are the second kind. Each comes in a 200ml bottle that you pour over ice, with nothing to measure.
The St. Agrestis aperitifs
Phony Negroni
The Phony Negroni is the bitter one, and the place to start if you already like bitter drinks. Made with 30 botanicals, including Tuscan juniper, southern Italian citrus and gentian root, it has light carbonation and tastes bittersweet, with a firm backbone. At the 2024 San Francisco World Spirits Competition it won Platinum, the first Platinum the competition gave a non-alcoholic product, and it is rated 4.9 across 1,687 reviews. Pour it over ice with an orange twist.
Phony White Negroni
The Phony White Negroni is the pale one, floral and dry, and the brighter pour of the two Negronis. It starts from the Phony Negroni's 30-botanical base with more gentian root and citrus, and is clarified, which gives it a Champagne-like quality. It won Double Gold at the 2025 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Pour it over ice.
Amaro Falso
Amaro Falso is the slow one, made with 20 herbs, spices, citrus and other botanicals. Its key botanicals are clove, spearmint and gentian root, and it tastes bittersweet, with herbal spice and mint. It works before dinner as an aperitif or after dinner as a digestif, over ice either way.
The rest of the range is in the non-alcoholic collection.
How to serve it
Serve it cold, over ice, in a rocks glass. One large cube is better than a handful of small ones, since small ice melts faster and waters the drink down. Express a strip of citrus peel over the glass and drop it in. Then put out something salty, like olives, chips, almonds or a piece of parmesan, because bitterness cuts through salt and fat. For the rest of the ritual, see the guide to the non-alcoholic aperitivo hour.
Questions
What is a non-alcoholic aperitif?
It is a non-alcoholic drink for before dinner, bitter or dry, that wakes up the appetite the way a Negroni or a spritz does. The Phony Negroni, Phony White Negroni and Amaro Falso are all non-alcoholic aperitifs.
What is the difference between an aperitif and a digestif?
The difference is mostly timing. An aperitif is poured before dinner and leans bitter or dry to open the appetite. A digestif is poured after dinner. Amaro Falso works in either slot.
Do non-alcoholic aperitifs contain any alcohol?
It depends on the product, so check the label. The St. Agrestis bottles are under 0.5% ABV.
How do you serve a non-alcoholic aperitif?
Pour it cold over ice in a rocks glass, add a citrus peel and put something salty on the side. For a longer drink, top it with soda water.