BOOK/A TABLE - The Casi-no Royale Cocktail

My birthday twin and I celebrated our special day with lunch at Alain Ducasse’s French bistro Benoit. There among the wines and cocktails were booze-free alternatives, such as the Wannabe a Spritz, composed of a pre-made Phony Negroni with sparkling Earl Grey tea.

Our waiter was indifferent to the drink, so I didn’t order it. But...I was intrigued, thinking I should try to make a version at home.

First of all, the Wannabe a Spritz uses the Phony Negroni to get the flavors of Campari and sweet vermouth found in a traditional Negroni, although the use of sparkling water really makes it more of an Americano. However, since the Negroni and Americano both feature Campari and sweet vermouth, I used non-alcoholic substitutes for those aperitifs that I already had on hand as I toiled over my shaker.

It’s an Americano that the British James Bond orders in Casino Royale (the first of Ian Fleming’s books to feature the secret agent), so it did make sense that I should flavor my mock Negroni/Americano with British Earl Grey tea, as they do at Benoit. I just created a homemade Earl Grey tea-infused syrup instead. 

Along with the syrup, a drop of lemon and a splash of sparkling water, it all ended up being a most satisfying no-alcohol concoction—the Casi-no Royale!

“Bond ordered an Americano and examined the sprinkling of overdressed customers, mostly from Paris he guessed, who sat talking with focus and vivacity, creating that theatrically clubbable atmosphere of l’heure de l’apéritif.”

Just say “yes” to the Casi-no Royale (or perhaps the Doctor No-Groni). A recipe for a no-alcohol Americano, the America-no, is also below.

Casi-no Royale

Ingredients
1 oz Ritual Aperitif Alternative
1 oz Lyre’s Apéritif Rosso
1 oz Earl Grey simple syrup

A few dashes of non-alcoholic bitters, such as All the Bitter

Lemon wedge
Club soda

Method
To make simple syrup: Steep an Earl Grey tea bag for five minutes in 1 cup boiled water. Stir in half cup sugar to blend. Refrigerate in a tightly sealed container for at least 20 minutes and give it a good shake before use.

To make the cocktail: Shake the first four ingredients into an ice-filled shaker and strain into a rocks glass over ice. Squeeze lemon wedge over your cocktail and then drop it in. Top with club soda to taste.

America-no

Ingredients
1 oz Ritual Aperitif Alternative
1 oz Lyre’s Apéritif Rosso

Club soda or sparkling water

Orange slice or lemon twist

Method
Pour Aperitif Alternative and Apéritif Rosso over ice in an old fashioned glass and stir. Add a splash of the club soda or water, to taste. Garnish with the orange slice or lemon and serve!

P.S. Give the wheel a spin: If you prefer to hit the hard stuff, click here for a traditional Americano or try an Earl Grey Negroni from tablemagazine.com, made with Earl Grey-infused gin and lemon bitters.