Mocktail Recipes
In Sips & Cocktails

My Lyre’s Nonalcoholic Spirits Review + 10 Fun Mocktails Recipes

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I decided to start the new year off with another Dry January excursion AND I decided to take Lyre’s Nonalcoholic Spirits with me. Last year’s Dry January was quite a success. I surprised myself by actually completing it- which was a boost to my confidence and discipline. It also helped me get a jump on some health & finance goals. I lost quite a few pounds and let’s be honest, maintaining my wine collection can be quite the pricey endeavor. 😊

And while looking forward to Dry January this year, I do enjoy a nice cocktail or a glass of wine at the end of the day to unwind. Much like I look forward to a starting my day with a cup of coffee. It’s more of a routine than anything. Thankfully, I learned last January that a wind down beverage doesn’t have to be leaded to be spirited!  So with no further adieu, here’s my impressions of 2 of Lyre’s nonalcoholic spirits and 10 quick & easy mocktail recipes using them.

Lyre’s Classico & Dark Cane Nonalcoholic Spirits

While searching for new nonalcoholic alternatives to try during this year’s Dry January, I came across Lyre’s & was immediately awed at their variety & selection. They have nonalcoholic alternatives to pretty much all the standard spirits– gin, bourbon, tequila, whiskey–but they have a sparkly and some clutch cocktail liqueurs like vermouth & aperitivos! They even have an Lyre's Classicoabsinthe alternative, which I find really impressive. For my first foray with Lyre’s I went with the Classico (their sparkly alternative) and the Dark Cane spirit (a spiced rum alternative). Here are my impressions of both:

First up, the Classico. This sparkly alternative is made with nonalcoholic fermented grape juice & carbonated water.

Top Notes:

  • Due to the grape content, I was expecting this to be overwhelming sweet like a sparkling grape juice or cider. I was very surprised when a citrusy, tartiness hit my tongue first, followed by a mellowed grape taste. Delicious & not too sweet!
  • I found the mouthfeel on the thin side. However, though the bubbles are low on visibility, they somehow hit on the tongue fully and gives this sparkly a tremendous sense of body.
  • The nose is fully of a grape, earthy sweetness.

Overall, I really enjoyed the Classico and will be ordering more in the future. It’s bright, rounded citrus notes compliment the grape well note for a very adulty, champagne alternative.  I give it 4.5 out of 5.

Lyre's Dark Cane SpiritNext up, Dark Cane Spirit. I got on a bit of a rum kick last year, so it was a no brainier for me to give this spiced rum alternative a try.

Top Notes:

  • I found the nose to be sweet and maple forward, grounded with a touch of spice
  • Tasteswise, I got caramel and vanilla (reminiscent of a slightly flat vanilla Coke) with a rounded citrus note to finish it off.
  • The mouthfeel is thin as well, but it has a very robust and spiced finish that I really liked.

I enjoyed the Dark Cane Spirit. In fact, even though I did quite a bit of experimentation with this one, I found I enjoyed it straight up the best. I give this a 4.5 out 5.

I did a lot beverage crafting with the Lyre’s nonalcoholic spirits I purchased, and here are the resulting mocktail recipes. They are organized into 3 categories: Classic Mocktails, Fresh & Fruity Mocktails, and Faux-mosas.

Classic Mocktails

MocktailsFaux Rum & Coke

Ingredients

  • Lyre’s Dark Cane Spirit- 2oz
  • Coke- 4-6 oz

Directions

  1. Add ice and Lyre’s Dark Cane Spirit to a cup
  2. Top off with Coke
  3. Stir & enjoy

 

Faux Cuba Libre

Ingredients

  • Lyre’s Dark Cane Spirit- 2oz
  • Lime juice- ½ oz
  • Coke- 4-6 oz

Directions

  1. Add ice, Lyre’s Dark Cane Spirit, and lime juice to a cup
  2. Top off with Coke
  3. Stir & enjoy

Tempered Rum Fashioned

CocktailsIngredients

  • Lyre’s Dark Cane Spirit- 2 oz
  • Honey Simple Syrup- ¼ – ½ oz
  • Cardamom Bitters- few dashes
  • *optional: wood and lavender smoke

Directions

  1. To a glass with ice, add in Lyre’s Dark Cane Spirit, honey syrup, and bitters
  2. Give it a stir to combine
  3. Smoke it (if you wish)
  4. Enjoy

 

Faux Toddy

mocktailThis is my nonalcoholic version of a Hot Toddy. In my book, toddies are one of those drinks that have to be measured with your heart. So feel free to use your favorite spices in whatever quantity that speaks to your heart while making this.

Ingredients

  • Toddy spices: cinnamon, cloves, allspice
  • Black tea
  • Lime juice
  • Honey

Directions

  1. To a tea brewer, I added my favorite toddy spices: a cinnamon stick, cloves, and allspice
  2. Add about a teaspoon of a black loose leaf tea
  3. Fill tea brewer with hot water and let it steep for about 3 mins
  4. Once steeping is complete, fill mug about 3/4 of the way
  5. Add 1-2 oz of Lyre’s Dark Cane spirit
  6. Hit it with a splash of lime and as much honey as you’d like,
  7. Stir to combine
  8. Garnish toddy with the cinnamon used during the steeping process and a slice of orange

Fresh & Fruity Mocktails

MocktailsBright & Cheery

This is my take on an unleaded Dark & Stormy

Ingredients

  • Lyre’s Dark Cane Spirit- 2 oz
  • Lime- ½ oz
  • Ginger beer- enough to top off

Directions

  1. Add Lyre’s Dark Cane Spirit and lime juice to a cup with ice
  2. Top off with ginger beer
  3. Stir to combine

MocktailsJungle Bird

This is one of Lyre’s own recipes posted on their site. I didn’t quite have all of the proper ingredients and had to make a couple of substitutions. So while this is not a faithful recreation of their recipe, it’s still quite delicious, fruity, and makes me think I’m on a beach somewhere.

Ingredients

  • Pineapple juice- 1.5 oz
  • Blood Orange juice- 1.5 oz
  • Lyre’s Dark Cane Spirit- 1 oz
  • Lime juice- ½ oz
  • Honey Syrup- ¼ oz

Directions

  1. Combine all ingredients in a glass
  2. Add as much ice as desired
  3. Stir well to combine & chill (15 secs)

Hibiscus Sparkler

CocktailsIngredients

  • Lyre’s Classico
  • Hibiscus tea

Directions

  1. Add ice to a glass of your choice
  2. Add 2-3 oz hibiscus tea to glass
  3. Top off with Lyre’s Classico
  4. Enjoy!

Faux-mosa Mocktails

Dry JanuarySorbet Castles Faux-mosa

Ingredients

  • Lyre’s Classico
  • Strawberry Sorbet

Directions

  1. Add 1-2 scoops of sorbet to your glass
  2. Top off with Lyre’s Classico
  3. Enjoy your sweet treat!

Sunrise Faux-mosa

FauxmosaIngredients

  • Lyre’s Classico
  • Fresh Cara Cara orange juice

Directions

  1. Add as much cara cara OJ to your glass as desired
  2. Top off with Lyre’s Classico
  3. Enjoy the fresh sparkles

Blood Orange Refresher

FauxmosaIngredients

  • Lyre’s Classico
  • Fresh Blood Orange juice

Directions

  1. Add 1-2 oz  of blood orange juice to your glass
  2. Top off with Lyre’s Classico
  3. Enjoy!

➡️ Check out my TikTok and/or Instagram feed to see any of these these nonalcoholic beverages, plus a few more not shared in this article, being made.

For additional nonalcoholic alternatives & mocktail recipes, check out my 2022 finds:

Author

Travel lover, cocktail enthusiast, & joy seeker, inspiring others to sip, savor, & explore

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