Drinkers will now be able to command their Alexa smart speakers to provide step-by-step non-alc cocktail recipes, alongside mood music.
After activating the ‘Make it a Lyre’s’ skill for Alexa, the smart speaker will ask drinkers what cocktail of spirit they desire, and then recommend a non-alcoholic cocktail recipe. The skill can be activated by asking Alexa: “Show me how to make a cocktail without alcohol.”
Lyre’s Co-Founder, Mark Livings, said that the rise of the at-home cocktail consumption precipitated the company’s partnership with Alexa.
“We’ve seen the rise of the at-home bartender alongside a huge uptake in non-alcohol trial and consumption,” Livings says.
“But there are nuances in preparation and service when it comes to creating a non-alcoholic version of your favourite drink that require education and trial, which is where Alexa comes in. We’re hugely excited to provide our cocktail recipes for Alexa to inspire more cocktail creativity at home, keeping the taste and social constructs of enjoying good drinks, simply without the hangover.”
The skill is available both to smart speakers, and to Alexa-enabled screen devices, providing hands free recipe guides to the drinker. While working their way through the recipe, consumers can ask “Alexa, what’s next” to be shown or read the next step in the cocktail.
For Michele Butti, Director of Alexa International, the move into drinks-making is a natural progression of the existing use of Alexa for cookery.
“While Alexa’s known to be well-versed and experienced in the kitchen, it’s exciting to be further extending Alexa’s skills to the bar, with Lyre’s introducing great new non-alcoholic cocktail recipes that are as fun to make as they are to drink and share with friends,” Butti says.
“We’re excited to be working with innovative brands like Lyre’s to enable the launch of their new skill for Alexa, adding great recipes for alcohol free, guilt-free, cocktails customers can make at home.”
There is a retail element at play here too, as customers will have the option to re-stock or order products via Amazon while they are making the recipe, meaning that the at-home bar remains stocked.
Carl Hartmann, another Lyre’s Co-Founder, commented: “We’ve seen new customers coming to the category without a lot of cocktail experience and they’re constantly looking up recipes online.
“We wanted to make that experience smarter, sleeker and more fun for our customers, making Alexa that clever bartender partner that’s on call whenever you’re ready to entertain.”
In a statement to press, Lyre’s noted that the launch of the Alexa skill comes at a time when the no-alcohol category is experiencing extraordinary growth, with a 2022 IWSR report stating that the sector will out-pace the growth of the total alcohol category by 2025.
