Now, if you’re anything like us, the idea of drinking non-alcoholic spirits during this time of quarantine just hasn’t occurred to us. But it seems the Australian non-alcoholic brand Lyre’s have just won some very solid reasons to suggest it might be worth a try.
Yes, the reasons could be that it’s probably healthier for us and yes, enjoying a cocktail without waking up the next day regretting it, might be a novelty. But Lyre’s will see those two ideas and raise you the 10 medals that the brand has won at this year’s San Francisco World Spirits Competition (SFWSC) reflecting the brand’s excellence in the flavour creation of non-alcoholic spirits.
Sure, when Lyre came out last year, they didn’t mess around, launching with a pretty decent range of thirteen expressions, but even so, a tally of 10 awards is a pretty outstanding feat. An achievement that is the result of Lyre’s creator and co-founder Mark Livings’ desire to create a non-alcoholic product line that captures as closely as possible, the flavours and aromas of the world’s favourite spirits.
“It is brilliant to see Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic Spirits honoured with such a prestigious set of awards and I am even more pleased to see non-alcoholic spirits participating in and winning awards at competitions like the San Francisco World Spirits Competition,” says Livings.
“As the movement toward lower ABV and zero-proof drinks continues to rise, Lyre’s offers consumers an option to enjoy their drink, their way. We believe our collective medals from highly controlled blind tasting competitions makes Lyre’s the most awarded non-alcoholic spirit brand globally and undeniably reinforces the credibility of this new category and our range and flavour leadership.”
In case you are curious, the medals were Gold for Lyre’s Aperitif Rosso and Dark Cane Spirit. Following closely behind was silver for the Aperitif Dry, the Amaretti, the Coffee Originale, and the Spiced Cane Spirit. Additionally, Lyre’s Orange Sec, Dry London Spirit, White Cane Spirit, and American Malt were recognized with bronze medals.
“The San Francisco World Spirits Competition has seen an increase the past few years with non-alcoholic entries and this is the first year that they have placed exceptionally well with Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic Spirits,” says Anthony Dias Blue, the competition’s founder and executive director.
“The judges tasted Lyre’s against alcoholic counterparts in the aperitif, coffee liqueur, fruit liqueur, nut liqueur, other whiskey, and sugar cane spirits categories. It was exciting to discover non-alcoholic products that could sit on the back bar like an alcoholic spirit and the medals reflect how impressed we were with the quality across the range.”
The brand is named in honour of the lyrebird, an Australian breed known for its ability to mimic the birdsong of any other creature it hears. The Lyre’s range draws from a library of over 12,500 extracts, all-natural essences and distillates to replicate classic spirits, all derived from a proprietary mix of international fruits, spices, and botanicals. The portfolio now surpasses all other brands in the category, having claimed the most awards for flavour and taste.
And it seems that consumers agree as the brand saw a “record” e-commerce growth in April this year, with global sales up 400% compared to March 2020.
Mark Livings, creator and founder of Lyre’s, said: “As the world grapples with the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic, we have been quick to refocus the business and are now seeing record growth across e-commerce, both in the UK and globally.
“As the movement toward lower-ABV and zero-proof drinks continues to rise, Lyre’s offers consumers an option to enjoy their drink, their way. We believe our collective medals from highly controlled blind-tasting competitions makes Lyre’s the most awarded non-alcoholic ‘spirit’ brand globally and undeniably reinforces the credibility of this new category and our range and flavour leadership.”
The Lyre’s collection is available for purchase by USA, UK, NZ and Australian customers on lyres.com.au
