Lyre's Non-Alcoholic Spirits
Imagine being able to knock back three espresso martinis and drive home. Or sip a midday Negroni with a client and remain clearheaded and on the ball. Or wake up in the morning after copious gin and tonics completely hangover-free. These scenarios are hypothetical no longer, with the game-changing launch of Lyre’s Non Alcoholic Spirits this June.
The Lyre's brand is like nothing you’ve seen before, delivering a product line that looks, tastes and sashays around the palate just like the spirits they’re based off, but with absolutely none of the alcohol. Punchy colours fill the perfectly designed bottles, which are decorated with an old-age finesse and punctuated with characters personifying the drinks, providing as much mirth as the flavour within.
Lyres has 13 different spirits which are both reminiscent of and distinct from the spirits they aren’t – in the very best way possible. Personal favourites include:
Absinthe: Pastis, anise, lemon verbena
Lyre’s Absinthe somehow captures the exact flavour that causes a shiver to run down the spine after a shot of 45 ABV Absinthe, yet replaces the vile classic flavour with something brilliant. The bright green colour and bouquet packed to the brim with liquorish, anise and lemon, candy and fresh cut herbs, pack a punch, give this non-spirit a heady quality.
To serve: combine with soda and a wedge of lemon for a spritely aperitif.
Amaretto: nutty, bitter, tangy
This Amaretto’s hue is an indication of how it tastes, like a delightfully toasted almond with a caramel coating. This non-spirit is almond through and through, with delicate hints of spice and a wash of vanilla providing relief for the palette. The refined flavour lingers on the tongue after a sip, prolonging the pleasure.
To serve: construct a classic Amaretto Sour by pairing Lyre’s amaretto with lemon, orange and maraschino.
Italian Orange: Aperitif, orange, classic
Italian Orange is Lyre’s homage to summer afternoons in Capri, impossibly capturing a hybrid of Aperol and Campari within its glass walls. Citrus, blood orange, and maraschino bring a bite to the bouquet, and give the flavour a lovely longevity.
To serve: create the perfect Italian Orange spritz by adding soda water and prosecco, and garnishing with a slice of blood orange.
American Malt: mellowed, caramel, oak
This American Malt is a perfect interpretation of a woody, spiced bourbon, and the colour is as inviting as the taste. Vanilla mixes with nuts and herbal notes, bringing a wintery warmth to the palette.
To serve: serve over ice for a classic Old Fashioned, or genty stir with Lyre’s Vermouth Rosso, bitters and orange peel for a mighty Manhattan.
Dry London Spirit: aromatic, floral, juniper, dry
Lyre’s gin is bang on. A punchy tang mixes with botanic undertones and leaves you with gin’s emblematic bite on the tongue. Juniper and citrus coat the tastebuds and are balanced with an unlikely warmth from the pepperberry.
To serve: don’t mess with a good thing, serve on ice with your favourite dry tonic water, garnish with lemon.
Other non-spirits on offer are: Highland Malt, Coffee Liqueur, Triple Sec, White Cane Spirit, Dark Cane Spirit, Spiced Cane Spirit, Rosso Vermouth, and Dry Vermouth. These non-spirits can be enjoyed on their own, served with mixers, or combined into cocktails.
Mark Livings, the founder and mastermind of Lyre’s, created the brand as a passion project, inspired by his years of working in advertising. The mission is simple in concept, but virtually impossible to create in reality, “to provide an alternative to those who don’t wish to imbibe alcohol, but still wish to enjoy the mirth, merriment and social intercourse of an evening soiree or shindig.”
Livings and his team worked with sommeliers and mixologists for months, testing, refining, and rewriting their recipes, determined to create a line of non-spirits which aren’t just true to their mother spirit, but bring something else to the table. Despite all the work, even Livings didn’t expect just how successful the brand and product line would be, with customers and partners alike swarming to get a taste of Lyre’s.
Lyre’s launches in an environment that barely existed five years ago, one that is open and willing to incorporate non-alcoholic alternatives. In an increasingly health-conscious world, people are turning from alcohol in the same way they turn from meat, leaving alcohol providers in the lurch. Lyre’s swiftly sidesteps this trend providing an alternative without the alcohol or the calories. What’s more, Lyre’s doesn’t just open its arms to those who don’t drink – it provides options for those who do. In a ground-breaking way, Lyre’s capitalises on inclusion and moderation, while maintaining the flirtatious edge other non-alcoholic libations lack.
The launch of Lyres marks a new era, where atmosphere and the ability to participate replace alcohol as the most important part of a social event. Gone are the days where teetotallers are forced to opt out, lightweights are cut off, and designated drivers must hover awkwardly with a lemonade in hand. We’ve entered an era of options, and after a sip of a Lyre’s Negroni, you won’t be turning back.
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Lyres Non-Alcoholic Spirits
$39.99 per unit
Visit www.lyres.co for the full details of Lyre’s spirits and cocktail recipes.
@lyresspiritco
