Lyre’s Italian Spritz
Summary
Drink – Lyre’s Italian Spritz
Type – non-alcoholic spirir
Alcohol content – 0.0%
Rating– 88/100
Review – Lyre’s Italian Spritz is an excellent alcohol-free alternative to Aperol it is tasty, refreshing, and is perfect at a summer BBQ. Another great drink from the Lyre’s non-alcoholic collection.
I reviewed Lyre’s Coffee Originale (a coffee liquor alternative) some weeks ago and it got a very strong score indeed (44/50) thanks to its flavour and similarity to an alcoholic version. So it was with high anticipation that I tried out Lyre’s Italian Spritz … a take on the hugely popular aperitivo Aperol.
Like many other Lyre products you can drink them neat from the bottle but it is recommended to pair the alcohol-free spirit with a decent quality mixer. In this case, I filled a glass up with ice and went for a slightly left-field option, pairing the Spritz with a bottle of Double Dutch’s cucumber and watermelon tonic … why not experiment I say.
As a fan of Aperol Spritz (especially on a hot summer’s day), Lyre’s were going to have to pull out all the punches to impress with their Italian Spritz. How did it go down? Well, you’ll need to read my review below to find out.
Is Lyre’s Italian Spritz any good?
Taste
I came into this with high expectations and am glad to say I was not disappointed. Taking a small sip of it neat was just like taking a sip of Aperol. Ok, it was marginally more subtle on the bitterness compared to the alcoholic version but it was still an incredibly realistic experience. As a cocktail with the basil and watermelon tonic it made for an exceedingly refreshing and tasty alcohol-free cocktail and on completion was almost tempted to go for another. If you’re after a well-balanced bitter-sweet drink that won’t disappoint then this is for you.
Aroma & Appearance
When taking a whiff from the bottle your mind immediately gets fooled into thinking this is actually Aperol. The aroma of tangy, fruity oranges mixed with tart rhubarb and the complimentary aromas from the tonic created a perfect balance. As you can see when poured into the glass it has a rich red color very similar to an alcoholic version.
Bonus points
Lyre’s have made a great effort with their packaging so always get extra marks on the branding front; in the case of Italian Spritz, it features a vintage rabbit with her parasol. The good news is that this drink contains no alcohol, is suitable for vegans and those who are gluten-free, and is only 70 calories (per 100 ml) … so you can drink guilt-free. Italian Spritz is a fairly accessible spirit and you can find it from a range of online stockists; I do hope that they start stocking more UK supermarkets so others can find out about this brand.
Buy Lyre’s Italian Spritz
It is a fairly tricky drink to locate on the high street but it is available from the following online drinks specialists as well as on Lyre’s own site.
When it comes to alcohol-free spirits, Masters Of Malt has a great selection on offer. Choose from premade cocktails as well as bottles of non-alcoholic spirits.
COST (at time of publication) – £19
Drizly is one of the USA’s leading online alcohol retailers with a large selection of alcohol-free products to choose from.
COST (at time of publication) – $33
Key information
– per 30ml
Creators – Lyre’s
Country – UK
Alcohol content – 0%
Calories –25
Ingredients –
Water, Sugar, Natural Flavouring, Sunset Yellow Colour (E110), Azorubine Colour (E122), Acidity regulator (Phosphoric Acid), Preservative (Potassium Sorbate).
Vegan friendly? – yes
Gluten-free? – yes
Availability – easy / medium
HOW TO MAKE AN ALCOHOL-FREE AMALFI SPRITZ
(mocktail recipe found on Lyres.co.uk)
Ingredients
60 ml Lyre’s Italian Spritz
60 ml premium alcohol-free prosecco
30 ml soda water
Cubed ice
Method
Add all the above ingredients into a glass and stir well
Add orange peel as garnish
… enjoy 🙂
