I Tried Still Bar’s Non-Alcohol Cherry Negroni

My verdict on this mocktail

Quick Verdict

Still Bar’s Cherry Negroni is a tart, lightly sweet and moderately bitter zero-proof cocktail that feels much more like an adult evening drink than fruit juice or soda.

I cannot tell you whether it accurately reproduces a traditional Negroni because I had never tried one before my alcohol-free journey began. I can tell you that I enjoyed this drink on its own terms—and that I would buy it again.

Best for: Someone who wants a ready-to-pour, alcohol-free evening drink with tart fruit and noticeable bitterness.

Would I buy it again? Yes.

My experience tasting the non-alcohol Cherry Negroni from the Still Bar.

I have to start with a confession: I've never actually had a real Negroni.

Not that I can recall, at least.

I've always been a wine guy. Or a scotch guy. Or a tequila guy. Or a Jameson guy.

…but never any mixed drink that included Gin. (gross.) Or sweet vermouth. (also gross)

And, as I have come to learn, a classic negroni includes both gin and sweet vermouth. Add some Compari, and you have a cocktail that I assure you I would never order without being forced to order it –or otherwise being under duress. (In fact, you'd probably ask me to say the code word to prove my body wasn't taken over by an invasion of the body snatchers.)

A classic Negroni is supposed to taste like a sophisticated, bittersweet blend of bold herbs, orange citrus, and deep, rooty botanical notes.

Sorry. That just has never sounded appealing to me.

So if you're looking for someone to tell you whether this tastes exactly like the alcoholic version, I'm not your guy. I picked this up because I thought it sounded interesting, not because I was trying to replace a favorite cocktail. (Interested in wine without the alcohol? We review low and no-alcohol wines here.)

My first no alcohol poolside mocktail experience.

Another confession of my favorite drinks: I absolutely love a classic fresh-squeezed margarita on a hot day, poolside. It reminds me of wonderful vacations we've spent in Mexico or the Carribean, when the fresh squeezed lime and the authentic top shelf tequila was flowing and the salted rim glasses filled with ice — ahhh! It all just hit right and tasted perfectly.

Turns out, that's what I truly love: the experience. The drink doesn't have to include alcohol.

On this hot night, I decided to maintain my current alcohol-free journey and try this Cherry Negroni, which happens to be alcohol free.

So yes — instead of my preference of sipping a delicious margarita by the pool, I opened up one of the three pre-made mocktail drinks I ordered recently from a local company called the Still Bar. They are in Ann Arbor; when I encountered their targeted advertising (facebook apparently knows I am not drinking alcohol these days!), I impulsively decided to try it.

What did the Cherry Negroni with no alcohol taste like?

Again, let me set the stage: My wife and I opened this small bottle while we were sitting by the pool on a hot evening. Normally that's when I'd pour a little Jameson, or we'd make margaritas. This time I wanted to see if a zero-alcohol cocktail could still feel like an evening drink instead of just grabbing another sparkling water.

The first thing I noticed was that it wasn't sweet. Well… it had some sweetness, but not in the way a lot of mocktails do where they basically taste like fancy fruit punch. If I had to put a number on it, I'd call both the sweetness and the bitterness about a 5 out of 10. Neither one took over, and together they worked pretty well.

The cherry was the first flavor that stood out to me. I'm guessing it's tart cherry because it wasn't candy-like. It gave the drink enough fruit flavor without making me feel like I was drinking juice.

Drinking, but not drinking. But still, kinda drinking!

What surprised me most wasn't really the flavor. It was the experience.

I still had that feeling of pouring something into a glass over ice and sitting outside with it. It felt like I was having an evening cocktail, just without the alcohol. I wasn't trying to fool myself into thinking it was Scotch or whiskey. It wasn't. It was its own thing.

Maybe this is not new to anybody else. Maybe this is just a new experience for me.

But, normally, when I go “alcohol free” for an evening out, ordering diet cokes or sparkling water — it's very obvious I'm not drinking. It feels like I'm on the outside looking in. Or, the beverage just feels “empty” or that something is missing.

But not with this mocktail experience!

I sipped it just as I would have sipped the perfect margarita by the pool.

…and I honestly enjoyed it. Quite a lot, actually.

How much does no alcohol cherry negroni from the still bar cost?

I ordered their tasting flight, because it was their advertised special offer and since we were local, the shipping was free. So, their $18 tasting flight resulted in the delivery of 3 small bottles of their pre-made craft mocktails.

Here is part of their description:
Cherry Negroni brings tart cherry and warm spice. Dry Hopped Paloma offers citrus, gentle hops, and clean bitterness. Roasted Blueberry and Basil Margarita blends roasted fruit, fresh basil, and bright lime.

When buying a single drink, it's $6 a bottle plus shipping. I can't imagine a time when someone would order only one of these, and pay for shipping. Instead, their 16 ounce bottle for $18 seems like a better idea. This feels more like something I'd keep around for evenings when I want the ritual of making a drink without wanting the alcohol that goes with it.

Who's is this for? (Who should buy this no alcohol Cherry Negroni?)

I think this drink is for someone who enjoys the ritual of an evening cocktail but doesn't necessarily want the alcohol that goes with it. That's where I found it fit best. I wasn't trying to replace my poolside margarita or convince myself this was a real Negroni. I just wanted something that felt like an adult drink while sitting by the pool on a summer evening, and for me, it checked that box.

The fact that I found the Cherry Negroni delicious, is a bonus! 🙂

Would I buy The Still Bar Cherry Negroni again?

Since I stopped drinking in February, I've realized I wasn't really missing alcohol as much as I was missing the experience of having an evening drink. Sitting by the pool with my wife, pouring something over ice, slowing down for a while—that was the part I wanted back. This Cherry Negroni gave me that experience, and that's probably the biggest compliment I can give it.

So, would I buy it again? Yeah, I would.

Not because I think it replaces my favorite drinks, but because it fills a different spot that I didn't really have before.

…and I really enjoyed the taste and I like their local vibe.