If you are craving the sunny sparkle of an Aperol Spritz without the booze, this Non Alcoholic Aperol Spritz is for you. Every ingredient is easy to find at a regular grocery store, and the drink is perfect for poolside sipping, brunch spreads, or baby showers. All the charm of a classic Italian cocktail, minus the hangover 🤕
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This Non-Alcoholic Aperol Spritz is inspired by the flavors of the original Italian cocktail, but reworked using easy-to-find non-alcoholic ingredients that still deliver balance and bite. Instead of Aperol, a combination of orange juice, non-alcoholic bitters or unsweetened cranberry juice, and blood orange soda creates that signature bittersweet profile.
What I love most about this Virgin Aperol Spritz is how customizable it is. You can lean more citrus-forward, go slightly more bitter, or make it extra bubbly depending on your mood. It works just as well for a single glass as it does for a big batch where everyone can customize their own Alcohol Free Aperol Spritz.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- Quick - Ready in under five minutes without non alcoholic spirits like Lyre's Italian Spritz or any other specialty ingredients.
- Balanced - Sweet citrus and gentle bitterness keep it from tasting flat or sugary.
- Flexible - Add a splash of cranberry juice, bitters, or flavored sparkling water.
- Great for parties - Scale up by the pitcher.
- Popular with everyone - Bright, citrusy, and delicious enough for all ages. Complex enough to feel like a grown-up cocktail.
This virgin Aperol spritz is giving vibrant color, fizzy bubbles, and layers of orange flavor with a gentle bitter bite. Have plenty of ingredients available because everyone is going keep coming back for refills!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Skip the trip to the liquor stores. The photo below shows everything you need to make the best non alcoholic Aperol spritz recipe. Let's see how you can swap them if needed.
- Orange juice - Fresh squeezed is fancy, but good quality bottled orange juice is just fine
- Non Alcoholic Bitters - Bitters add complexity, although cranberry juice adds gentle tartness if bitters are unavailable.
- Blood orange soda - Regular orange soda will work, but blood orange adds depth and color.
- Tonic water - Tonic water contains quinine, which gives it a bitter citrus flavor. Club soda works if you want less bitterness.
- Orange peel - Adding a cute garnish just makes everyone feel a little more fancy. You don't have to do a fancy twist like I did, floating a thin slice of orange peel on top is fine. Or you know - skip it.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Variations
The original is pretty awesome, but no one puts Aperol in a corner. It's easy to tweak depending on the occasion or what you have on hand.
- Bittersweet - If you want to recreate the bitter bite of an authentic Aperol Spritz, add a splash of cranberry juice or add a few more dashes of bitters.
- Floral - I love adding a little floral touch at brunch; my raspberry rose parfait and lemon elderflower mocktail are huge hits! Try topping off your spritz with elderflower soda or chilled hibiscus tea, in place of the soda water.
- More sweetness - Use regular orange juice or even tangerine juice for a sweeter flavor.
- Tropical - Swap out the orange juice with pineapple juice and add a squeeze of lime.
Cynthia's Recipe Review
This Virgin Aperol Spritz is the kind of drink that makes a simple brunch table feel like an occasion, even though it takes almost no effort. I love how it looks just as good as it tastes.
Quick Recipe Video
Step-by-Step Instructions
I mean - what can I say about mixing a drink? You put everything in a glass (I prefer stemless wine glasses) with ice stir it up and drink it, but I took all of these pretty pictures so let's go over it:
Step 1: Pour orange juice into a drinking glass and add 2 to 3 dashes of non alcoholic bitters.
Step 2: Pour in 3 ounces blood orange soda and stir together.
Step 3: Add ice and top with your favorite bubbly water. Stir gently to preserve the bubbles.
Step 4: Garnish with a swirly orange curl or a slice of orange.
Share: Make more for friends because they are too tasty not to share!
Cynthia's Helpful Tips
- Keep your cool: Chilled ingredients keep ice from melting too quickly.
- No blood orange soda?: No blood orange soda? Use orange soda plus a splash of cranberry juice for color and balance.
- Make a cute orange peel garnish - Use a vegetable peeler or paring knife to peel a strip of zest about 3 to 4 inches long. Wrap the strip around a straw or chopstick and hold for a few seconds to give it a cute curl.
- Make garnishes ahead of time - You can prep your orange twists and store them in a sealed container in the fridge with a damp paper towel. This saves time and keeps them fresh and flexible for garnishing.
Batch Mixing
It's a spritz, batch: For a crowd, mix the following in a pitcher:
- 8 ounces of orange juice
- 24 ounces blood orange soda (Two 12 ounce cans)
- 2 to 3 teaspoons of non-alcoholic bitters OR
- 4 ounces of unsweetened cranberry juice
Stir gently to combine, then cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. When ready to serve, fill individual glasses with ice, pour about ½ cup of the batched mixture into each glass, and top each serving with tonic water. Gently stir once and garnish if desired. Makes enough for 8 mocktails. Delicious enough for kids and adults alike!
Recipe FAQs
Any sparkling water, plain or citrus flavored, will get the job done, but I choose to use tonic water for an even more complex bitterness.
Yes, but it won't have the same bubbly texture that you get from a traditional Aperol spritz. If you want to skip the soda, try using chilled hibiscus tea or flavored water for a still, slightly bitter and fruity version.
Yes, but the flavor will be sweeter and less complex. To balance it out, consider adding a small splash of cranberry or ruby red grapefruit juice for a touch of tartness and color.
You can mix the juice and soda base up to an hour ahead and chill. Add sparkling water and ice just before serving.
Yes. Use sugar free blood orange soda, plain sparkling water, and skip any sweetened juices.
Did you try this recipe?
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I appreciate it so much!
-Cynthia
📖 Recipe
Alcohol Free Aperol Spritz Mocktail
Ingredients
- 1 ounce orange juice 2 tablespoons
- 2 to 3 dashes non alcoholic bitters or
- ½ ounce unsweetened cranberry juice 1 tablespoon
- 3 ounces blood orange soda
- Tonic water to top
- Orange slice optional for garnish
Instructions
- Pour orange juice into a glass and add non alcoholic bitters or cranberry juice.
- Pour in blood orange soda and stir.
- Add ice and top with tonic water and gently stir once.
- Garnish with an orange slice if desired and serve immediately.
Save This Recipe! 💌
I'll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later, plus you'll get great new recipes from me every week!
Video
Notes
- Adjust tonic water to taste for more or less bitterness.
- Use very cold ingredients for best flavor.
- Serve immediately for maximum carbonation.
- 8 ounces of orange juice
- 24 ounces blood orange soda (Two 12 ounce cans)
- 2 to 3 teaspoons of non-alcoholic bitters OR
- 4 ounces of unsweetened cranberry juice
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