Review: Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic White Cane Spirit, Coffee Originale, and Classico
We’re headed back to the well — the dry well, ahem — with a fresh look at three new offerings from Lyre’s, which is arguably the leader in non-alcoholic spirits. Two are full-bottle spirit surrogates, while the third is in a category of its own. Read on for the details.
Lyre’s White Cane Spirit Review
So… faux white rum. Made with water, sugar, glucose syrup, flavors, and citric acid. The nose is vaguely rum-adjacent, with a slight pineapple bent. Vague is the key operator here, though the aroma is not remotely offensive. The palate shakes things up, folding a somewhat chemical-like character into the mix, upping the spiritness of the drink but coming at the expense of approachability. A vague mix of pineapple, honeydew, and bubble gum all build as the palate develops, creating a rather haphazard finish reminiscent of weak tea. Rum? Only if you squint hard. C / $32 (700ml) [BUY IT NOW FROM AMAZON]
Lyre’s Coffee Originale Review
This play on Kahlua seems like it should be straightforward: water, coffee, and some sweetener. Somehow Lyre’s mucks it up by pouring some kind of a heavy fruit component into the mix, all but washing out the coffee flavor: Notes of overripe candied apples fade quickly into bubble gum territory, followed by something akin to uncarbonated cola syrup. There’s a little coffee hidden in there somewhere, but it’s well buried beneath the fruity slog. I have no idea why a spirit so simple had to be overcomplicated — and, frankly — ruined in this way, but here we are. C- / $35 (700ml) [BUY IT NOW FROM AMAZON]
Lyre’s Classico Review
Lyre’s Classico is both a sparkling wine (available in full-size bottles) and an RTD cocktail that can be served on the rocks (or consumed straight from the can). In reality, it’s pretty much just sparkling water, sugar, and grape juice concentrate, plus natural flavorings. A hint of lemon kicks things off before a burst of lightly tart but mostly sweet, white grape juice arrives. There’s no sense of oxidation or vinegar like you get in the typical NA wine, which makes this drink better as a cocktailing component or as a simple mixer. A vague hint of bitterness informs the finish, but it’s lost in all the fruit here. You’ll need a splash of Campari or similar if you really want to elevate the experience into a true cocktail. B / $15 per four-pack of 250 ml cans [BUY IT NOW FROM AMAZON]
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