Lyre's Italian Orange named Best New Cocktail Ingredient at Spirited Awards 2022

Tales of the Cocktail Foundation (TOTCF) has revealed the winners of this year’s Spirited Awards, with Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic Spirits winning the Best New Spirit or Cocktail Ingredient category for its Lyre’s Italian Orange. This is characterised as a vibrantly red Italian bitter aperitif alternative. The award marks the first time a non-alcoholic spirit was recognised.

Founded in 2007, the Spirited Awards have become one of the most globally recognised accolades. Recipients for each category are carefully considered by a panel of over 200 industry experts, including bartenders globally. TOTCF honoured the 2022 Spirited Awards recipients at an event held Thursday, July 28, at The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans. Recognised through the lens of this year’s conference theme, “Progress” — chosen for its appreciation of the nimble and adaptive development of the drinks community, this year’s winners have made strides in progressing the beverage industry forward.

Lyre’s Italian Orange becomes the first non-alcoholic spirit recognised by the industry’s most coveted Global Awards Program. 

Since its launch in 2019, Lyre’s has established its position as the global leader in the no and low alcohol category, having entered over 70 countries and secured partnerships with the world’s leading spirits distributors, listings with most major retailers, and opinion-leading restaurants and bars (including many of the world’s top 50 bars). In 2022 alone, the brand extended its range of premium non-alcoholic spirits offering by three, introducing Agave Blanco Spirit, Agave Reserva Spirit, and Pink London Spirit and has recently rolled out its first non-alcoholic whisky-style beverage, Highland Malt, in Singapore.

“Social inclusion and choice are cornerstone beliefs for Lyre’s, and we are so proud of our team for bringing non-alcoholic moments to Tales of the Cocktail and beyond,” says Joshua Carlos, Senior Vice President, North America – USA, Canada, Mexico for Lyre’s Spirit Co. “This year’s conference was significant for the global drinks community to celebrate each other fully and offering low and no-alcohol options means better representation at the table. The prestigious Spirited Award reinforces that beverage professionals and bartenders are embracing Lyre’s as a non-alcoholic solution. We look forward to continuing to redefine the non-alcoholic spirits category for many years to come.”

“Lyre’s is dedicated to showcasing the potential of non-alcoholic spirits and is a must-have option behind every bar when crafting low and no-alcohol cocktails,” says Nick Crutchfield, Global Director of Education for Lyre’s Spirit Co. “Our unparalleled spectrum of drinks means that under a consistent banner of ‘Make it a Lyre’s, any venue (or home bartender) can make almost any drink using simple swaps with the Lyre’s lineup. If you are in the mood for a zero-proof Negroni, we can do that using our Dry London, Aperitif Rosso, and Italian Orange (TOTC Spirited Awards Best New Cocktail Ingredient 2022) as alternatives for the traditional ingredients. Lyre’s Italian Orange can also be enjoyed in a spritz with Lyre’s Classico, our non-alcoholic prosecco style, or simply served with your favourite tonic for a stellar highball.”

“Lyre’s is moving the non-alcoholic spirits category forward with authenticity and integrity,” says Eileen Wayner, Tales of the Cocktail Foundation CEO. “They are paving a way forward for the category and belong on the best bar menus across the globe.”

“To win arguably the most coveted award in the world for a new Spirits brand is a tremendous honour, and the whole team at Lyre’s is absolutely thrilled.  As the first non-alcoholic product to ever receive a Spirited award, it’s now undeniable that this category has well, and truly arrived and non-alcoholic spirits products are changing the way the world drinks,” notes Mark Livings, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Lyre’s.

The Lyre’s range is available through Singapore’s e-commerce platform (https://lyres.asia/ ). The range is also available at select Cold Storage outlets in Singapore. For more details on recipes using the different variants, visit the website for more information (https://lyres.asia/recipes/ ). For at-home cocktail inspiration, follow @LyresSpiritCo and search #MakeItALyre’s on Instagram.