Impossibly crafted, utterly distinctive
by Emily Cathcart
Meeting up virtually is so commonplace these days; the most exciting remote gatherings are those with a novel twist. Always willing to try something new, ALHAUS enthusiastically accepted an invitation from Lyre’s Spirit Co. to attend a cocktail mixology class with a difference—no alcohol.
Popping down to the local pub isn’t an option for workmates separated by oceans. With an ALHAUS group get-together in the works, research into social lubricants suitable for delivery to our respective doorsteps began. Not all of our team members drink alcohol and not all products we considered are widely available. Enter Lyre’s Spirit Co. and their ‘impossibly crafted’ alcohol-free line of spirits.
Though it was a decision born of practicality, in choosing this new way of tippling we joined a growing cultural trend towards mindful drinking. According to the IWSR Drinks Market Analysis study, sales of no- and low-alcohol beer/cider, wine, spirits and ready-to-drink products grew by more than 6% in 10 key global markets in 2021. The spirits segment in particular is predicted to experience the largest growth between 2020 and 2024—rising by 14%.
Photos: Emily Cathcart
With our Lyre’s order placed, the team’s anticipation grew as we took stock of our home bar equipment and hit the shops for lemons, oranges and fresh mint. My own eagerly awaited parcel arrived in its snazzy packaging and I unboxed the Lyre’s Negroni Set. Three colourfully labelled bottles were waiting inside—Lyre’s London Dry Spirit featuring a monocle-wearing pigeon in buttoned-up blue; Apéritif Rosso with its flamboyant hot-pink flamingo; and Italian Orange, sporting a wolf in Roman centurion’s clothing on rich red.
Not only do these beautiful bottles lack alcohol, but what’s inside is low-calorie and vegan. Lyre’s Orange Sec has a mere 61 calories per serve, compared to Triple Sec with 675. And the only creatures involved in Lyre’s are the series of charming social animals illustrating their labels. But these spirits aren’t remarkable for what’s missing, but rather for everything that goes into them; all-natural, plant derived essences, extracts and distillates that deliver bouquet and full flavour without the booze.
The day of our mixology class arrived and I was all set. Cocktail shaker, check; jigger, check; Zoom link, check. We met our friendly bartender Sam (Samuel Lucardie, Lyre's Global Digital Brand Ambassador) and he talked us through the brand story. The Melbourne native explained how Lyre’s got its name—inspired by the Australian Lyrebird, the world’s greatest mimic, Lyre’s believe it's the world’s most successful mimic of classic-style spirits.
Sam whisked us through mixing up a Lyre’s Negroni (a No-groni if you leave out the alcohol entirely, it’s easily adapted to a Low-groni if you mix and match). We then moved on to an Americano, Orange Sour and Pink Gin Fizz. With his encouragement we had shaken and stirred four delicious cocktails in no time, each equally refreshing and distinctive. Without a drop of alcohol in sight, the drinks themselves are truly memorable: full of sophisticated, layered flavours and complex botanical notes.
Though the session was over, our non-alcoholic journey won’t end there. We’ve more to explore—with a huge range of surprisingly authentic-tasting spirits, nearly every cocktail under the sun can be recreated, Lyre’s style. Our ALHAUS team was certainly inspired to use what remained in our bottles to venture off on taste experimentation of our own. As I dream up my next recipe, I can just hear Sam now: “Alright, awesome guys! Is everyone ready to make another cocktail?”