Christmas Styling with Lyre's
The annual gathering of friends and family around the holiday hearth requires a skillful host. The perfect treats and trimmings must cater to a disparate catalogue of tastes. While Lyre’s range of Non-Alcoholic Spirits won’t settle any family scores, it can inspire an inclusive setting to meet every expectation.
Angela, 35, describes her ambitions when recently hosting her family reunion. "It was a special occasion, we were celebrating our family and you want to feel like you're doing something a bit lavish and different," she says. "I did the spritz in big goblet-style wine glasses with lots of ice cubes and a slice of orange."
This year holiday gatherings may be more intimate, rendering each aspect all the more important. Eloise Jaksic, creative consultant, describes how she fetes at the holiday feast.
“Every year our family home turns into a Christmas wonderland. We are extremely festive and take decorating very seriously!” she says. “The hero on Christmas day is definitely the styling of the tables. I tend to always keep the settings quite traditional with a fresh twist each year.
“Firstly, I always use a white tablecloth as a basis to build on. This year I have added a hessian runner down the middle and placed several smaller vases of Australian native flowers along the table – roughly one vase between four. I always pick one hero bloom (in this instance bottlebrush) and create the arrangement around them. If you have some leftover I like to place a few along the runner. In between the vases I have also added an array of big white candles and smaller red ones. These instantly add to the festive mood. This year I have chosen simple white, classic dinner and side plates. To add a festive feel I have chosen quite traditional cotton serviettes with red detailing and placed a piece of holly on everyone’s plates. A cute touch is to add a shortbread with the guest’s initials on it and place them next to the holly.”
Lyre's Americano with Italian Orange and Apéritif Rosso
No detail goes unnoticed with Jaksic, who encourages a festive-themed spritz paired with dazzling platters of varying heights and an array of foods to complement all diets, all garnished with the perfect Christmas playlist. A feast for all senses!
The final touch always leaves a lasting impression, and Jaksic and Angela reserve dessert as the showstopper. Jaksic completes the evening with an Espresso Martini or an Affogato, both excellent with Lyre’s Coffee Originale. Angela incorporates the Non-Alcoholic spirits into the food itself.
“It's better for our non-drinking guests to have peace of mind that the dessert they are eating is completely alcohol-free, especially when they are pregnant or driving," she says. "Our guests were amazed it didn't contain alcohol – they said it was the best tiramisu they'd ever had!"
