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.
Featuring:
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 
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.
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
Ingredients
- Lyre’s Dark Cane Spirit- 2oz
- Coke- 4-6 oz
Directions
- Add ice and Lyre’s Dark Cane Spirit to a cup
- Top off with Coke
- Stir & enjoy
Ingredients
- Lyre’s Dark Cane Spirit- 2oz
- Lime juice- ½ oz
- Coke- 4-6 oz
Directions
- Add ice, Lyre’s Dark Cane Spirit, and lime juice to a cup
- Top off with Coke
- Stir & enjoy
Tempered Rum Fashioned
- Lyre’s Dark Cane Spirit- 2 oz
- Honey Simple Syrup- ¼ – ½ oz
- Cardamom Bitters- few dashes
- *optional: wood and lavender smoke
Directions
- To a glass with ice, add in Lyre’s Dark Cane Spirit, honey syrup, and bitters
- Give it a stir to combine
- Smoke it (if you wish)
- Enjoy
Faux Toddy
Ingredients
- Toddy spices: cinnamon, cloves, allspice
- Black tea
- Lime juice
- Honey
Directions
- To a tea brewer, I added my favorite toddy spices: a cinnamon stick, cloves, and allspice
- Add about a teaspoon of a black loose leaf tea
- Fill tea brewer with hot water and let it steep for about 3 mins
- Once steeping is complete, fill mug about 3/4 of the way
- Add 1-2 oz of Lyre’s Dark Cane spirit
- Hit it with a splash of lime and as much honey as you’d like,
- Stir to combine
- Garnish toddy with the cinnamon used during the steeping process and a slice of orange
Fresh & Fruity Mocktails
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
- Add Lyre’s Dark Cane Spirit and lime juice to a cup with ice
- Top off with ginger beer
- Stir to combine
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
- Combine all ingredients in a glass
- Add as much ice as desired
- Stir well to combine & chill (15 secs)
Hibiscus Sparkler
- Lyre’s Classico
- Hibiscus tea
Directions
- Add ice to a glass of your choice
- Add 2-3 oz hibiscus tea to glass
- Top off with Lyre’s Classico
- Enjoy!
Faux-mosa Mocktails
Ingredients
- Lyre’s Classico
- Strawberry Sorbet
Directions
- Add 1-2 scoops of sorbet to your glass
- Top off with Lyre’s Classico
- Enjoy your sweet treat!
Sunrise Faux-mosa
- Lyre’s Classico
- Fresh Cara Cara orange juice
Directions
- Add as much cara cara OJ to your glass as desired
- Top off with Lyre’s Classico
- Enjoy the fresh sparkles
Blood Orange Refresher
- Lyre’s Classico
- Fresh Blood Orange juice
Directions
- Add 1-2 oz of blood orange juice to your glass
- Top off with Lyre’s Classico
- 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:
- Wilderton’s Earthen Review
- Ritual’s Zero Proof Whiskey Alternative Review
- Five Delicious Mocktails to Try
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