World’s Collide, A Booze-Free Negroni Riff

Tons of great recipes have hit our desk for this year’s Negroni Week, but this submission from Madcap Coffee in Grand Rapids really captured our attention. Since the coffee shop doesn’t serve alcohol, co-founder Trevor Corlett devised a few booze-free concoctions that were inspired by the classic Negroni using a house made syrup and shrub instead.

Here’s the recipe for the World’s Collide, which was inspired by the “collision of diverse ingredients and flavors” found in the original Negroni. A bit of legwork is required to make the shrub and syrup, but those ingredients can also be easily repurposed for use in cocktails as well. Mix one up, and then head over to negroniweek.com to find out where to go to find delicious non-liquid Negroni treats.

World’s Collide 
½ oz. orange-peppercorn simple syrup
2 shots (approximately two oz.) Third Coast Espresso
¼ oz. Berry Shrub
1 oz. sparkling water
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Tools: shaker tin, strainer, bar spoon
Glass: rocks
Add simple syrup to a small shaker tin. Pull espresso directly into shaker. Fill with ice and stir to chill. Strain over rocks glass filled with fresh ice. Add sparkling water. Add berry shrub and Angostura bitters. Stir to incorporate.

Orange-pepper syrup
3 orange peels
1 tsp pink peppercorn
4½ oz. sugar
Steep orange rind and pink peppercorns in about 4 ¼ oz. hot water for five minutes. Add sugar and stir until dissolved. Chill.

Berry shrub
4 oz. raspberries
4 oz. blackberries
2 oz. sugar
24 oz. apple cider vinegar

Muddle raspberries and blackberries together and mix in sugar. Let sit for 30 minutes. Put in 28 oz. bottle. Add apple cider vinegar and shake to incorporate. Label, date and chill.