Gin offers something of a blank canvas for distillers, as long as juniper is the predominant flavour in the array of botanicals used. Lyre's Flavour Architect, David Murphy, drew on no less than 25 different natural essences and extracts in his quest to produce our Dry London Spirit. "All the classic botanicals are in there, starting with juniper obviously. There was wormwood, coriander, orange blossom, cassia bark and licorice root, which is one of the botanicals that gives you sweetness without having to add sugar," he says. "We've used these botanicals in small proportions to blend a non-alcoholic replica of a London Dry."
But Lyre’s spirits don’t just mimic; they have their own distinction as a premium non-alcoholic beverage.
David says he carefully dialled up the aroma profile of the Dry London Spirit to compensate for the absence of alcohol. "We know that it's going to be diluted with something, generally tonic water. We want it to still be able to stand up perfectly on its own in a mixed drink, because it's the alcohol that would normally do that in the real thing," he says. "We've made allowances for that, so our Dry London Spirit offers a bit more floral character on the nose than its alcoholic counterparts." The painstaking blending process was followed by multiple tonic water tests conducted by David and his team of expert palates at One Penny Red. "We did blind tastings with the gin in three different serving levels, a 35ml, 45ml and a 50ml pour," he says. "We tried it with eight different tonic waters to make sure the spirit was pronounced enough that it gave the intensity you expect from gin in a well-made G&T."
Dry London Spirit
Bouquet: Rich scents of orange blossom, lime, jasmine, juniper, pepperberry and mint.
To Taste: Firm flavours with juniper & citrus. Earthy notes fill the mid-palate which has lovely vinous qualities. The pepperberry adds warmth and delivers a generous, dry finish.
How To Enjoy: As a classic G&T with your favourite dry tonic water. Add a wedge of grapefruit or a sprig of rosemary to garnish. Or, mix with Lyre’s Bitter Orange and Aperitif Rosso to make a perfect Lyre’s Negroni.
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