The House of Pocket has embraced Lyre’s non-alcoholic spirits range to deliver zero proof cocktail options at all their venues.
Corpse Preserver #2 with Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic Spirits – Photo Supplied
Non-alcoholic options in bars have long been limited to mixed juices, sugary concoctions or merely an afterthought. The rise of non-alcoholic spirits has created more than just a fleeting interest in the category. Non-alcoholic brands are making their mark on cocktail lists and with the release of Lyre’s non-alcoholic spirits earlier in the year, venues such as House of Pocket bars are embracing new approaches and creative offerings in the zero proof category.
Conscious Drinking
The teams at the House of Pocket venues (Button Bar, Stitch Bar, Crooked Tailor and Pocket Bar Terrigal) have identified a significant shift to more ‘conscious’ decisions made by their guests, both in regard to the amount of alcohol consumed and in the quality over quantity demand. Consequently, they have adopted a new approach to meet their guests’ demands and shift in drinking habits.
“In an effort to integrate non-alcoholic options into our menus, rather than the typical ‘Mocktail’ section, we ambitiously set out to produce the same flavour profile as our standard cocktails with non-alcoholic substitutes,” says Karl Schlothauer, CEO of House of Pocket. “With the help of Lyre’s, we are now able to offer over 60% of our regular cocktail menu as non-alcoholic.”
What is Lyre’s Non Alcoholic Spirits
Lyre’s is a range of non-alcoholic spirits launched early in 2019 by Zero Proof Australia. Named after the Australian Lyre bird, the world’s greatest mimic, the brand has created a like-for-like substitute for go-to spirits
Lyre’s Non Alcoholic Spirits is comprised of thirteen expressions that are interpretations of gin, whisky, bourbon, rum, vermouth and liqueurs. It consists of a Dry London Spirit, Highland Malt, American Malt, White Cane Spirit, Spiced Cane Spirit and Dark Cane Spirit, as well as Dry Vermouth and Vermouth Rosso with a range of liqueur flavours namely Coffee Liqueur, Amaretto, Absinthe, Italian Orange and Triple Sec.
Unlike other non-alcoholic spirits made through distillation where the alcohol is removed post-production, the natural compounds in Lyre’s are extracted using several methods, including cold-pressing or maceration to isolate the desired flavour note. These are subsequently blended into a water base and balanced to ensure the flavour of the new spirit is as close as possible to the original.
How House of Pocket is Using Lyre’s
At House of Pocket venues, guests won’t find alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktail lists. Instead, they offer a core list of cocktails with over 60% available in both alcoholic and non-alcoholic options.
Such an example is the Corpse Preserver #2 (pictured above), a non-alcoholic riff on the Corpse Reviver #2. The equal parts cocktail consists of 20 ml each of Lyre’s London Dry, Lyre’s Bianco Vermouth, Lyre’s Triple Sec, lemon juice and two dashes of Lyre’s Absinthe, shaken with ice and served in a coupette with a lemon twist.
Other non-alcoholic options from the dark spirits range include the Pacino with Lyre’s American Malt, Lyre’s Amaretto, honey, bitters and muddled coffee beans.
“We can now offer the lion’s share of our favourite classics in a non-alcoholic format,” says Karl Schlothauer. “The non-alcoholic Negroni is a personal favourite, with all the bitter, digestif goodness of the original but none of the stress of trying to get a cab home afterwards”.
The full range of Lyre’s non-alcoholic spirit is stocked at all House of Pocket venues, namely Button Bar (Surry Hills), Crooked Tailor (Castle Hill), Pocket Bar (Terrigal) and Stitch Bar (CBD).
In partnership with the House of Pocket.
