White Lyan bar creates its own ‘wines’

Pioneering cocktail bar White Lyan in Hoxton has created four bespoke “wines” by deconstructing and fermenting the flavours found in red and white wine.

Ryan Chetiyawardana

Bar founder Ryan Chetiyawardana took aromas and flavours commonly found in wine, from apricots and cherries to strawberries and used them as a base for the wines.

The Spring Break White for example, features apple flower, rhubarb tea and poached apricots; while the Whirlwind Red is made from oaked cherry, spring grapes, lapsang and sage.

To make each of the four wines, the base ingredients are fermented together to create an alcoholic drink that tastes like wine despite not being made from grapes.

“We wanted to continue to push ourselves and this is an exciting step to start conversations and get people thinking about things in a different way.

“It allows us to take the control and rigour we employ to the next level, and like a restaurant offering, this is something that you can only get here,” Chetiyawardana said.

To celebrate the launch of the new “ wine” offering, White Lyan will be hosting a weeklong pop-up Wine Bar & Bottle Shop in east London in April.

Chetiyawardana has also created a bespoke beer to complement Mr Lyan Bourbon in collaboration with Old Worthy Brewing Company in Scotland.

The canned passion fruit ale, called Lyan Lager, can be enjoyed as a Boilermaker served with a shot of Mr Lyan Bourbon on the side.