DRY Soda

"DRY is soda re-imagined--better tasting and better for you," says Sharelle Klaus, founder and CEO. "Made from only four all-natural ingredients including a minimum amount of pure cane sugar. The result: a less sweet soda that allows its fruit, flower and herbal cane flavors to shine through. And just 45-70 calories per bottle. Sip DRY on its own, pair it with great food, or mix DRY into the perfect cocktail and rediscover what soda can be."

That was enough information to persuade me to give the new product a taste test. I recently sampled a line-up of seven interesting DRY Soda flavors. It's my new favorite thing.

How can a wet soda be DRY?

Think about wine: sweet wines boast high levels of residual sugars while dry wines are characterized by higher acidity and tannins. The same concept can be applied  here. Along the spectrum of non-alcoholic sparkling beverages, at the very sweet end are brand-name sodas like Coca-Cola and 7-Up while at the very dry end are club soda and sparkling water. DRY Sodas sit comfortably near the dry end, but with a bit more sweetness than straight-up club soda, sparkling water or tonic water.

If you like dry wine and sparking water, odds are that you'll like DRY Soda. If you're addicted to brand-name sodas made with high fructose corn syrup, DRY Soda may mean adjusting your palate--and it's worth the effort.

Less sugar doesn't have to mean less flavor. Healthy doesn't have to mean boring.

My plan was to refrigerate the bottles, sip them straight-up and then experiment with cocktail recipes. The flavors seem designed to inspire creative mixology--cucumber, juniper berry, vanilla and more. But DRY Sodas proved tasty and satisfying on their own, so much so that I depleted my supply before discovering that these would not be as easily replaced as I'd hoped.... So, the mixology experimentation will have to be postponed until sometime after my next trip to Augusta, Georgia, whenever that may be.... In the meantime, let's virtually crack open one bottle at a time.

Wild Lime is bright. It's sweeter than what you'd get if you just squeezed a lime wedge into a glass of sparkling water, but not nearly as sweet as lemon-lime sodas like 7-Up and Sprite. It would be an ideal choice to sip alongside a plate of nachos or bowl of pad thai. I'd like to try it in a tequila or white rum cocktail.

Vanilla Bean is more delicate than cream soda. It's tied for my No. 1 favorite flavor among this line-up. It would pair well with roast chicken or apple pie. I'd like to try a splash with bourbon or cognac.

Rhubarb is tart and fruity. Not being a huge fan of rhubarb I didn't anticipate that I'd like this flavor, but I really did. It would pair well with meats or salads. I'd test it in gin and vodka-based cocktail creations.

Lavender lingers on the palate and builds intensity. It's the one flavor I was not able to drink for long on its own. Mixed 50/50 with pomegranate juice it was quite enjoyable. I've created several cocktails that include lavender simple syrup as an ingredient and I'd like to test this in those drinks.

I adore good gin, but wasn't confident I'd like Juniper Berry soda. It's pleasantly spicy and tied for my No. 1 favorite flavor among this line-up. It would pair with anything! I'd experiment with this as a base in some creative non-alcoholic drinks.

Cucumber is another flavor that I wasn't confident would be enjoyable on its own, but it proved to be crisp and refreshing. It would be great alongside Greek or vegetarian dishes. I'd like to mix it with Sense Rose Nectar.

Blood Orange is tangy and refreshing. I'd serve it alongside seafood dishes and salads. It would likely mix well with rum, tequila and cachaca, but it's great on its own.
-Images Courtesy Dry Soda Co.

Bottom Line: Excellent. If DRY Soda was sold at my local Whole Foods store, I'd add it to my cart every trip. Unfortunately, at the present time it's sold in Georgia only at one store, which happens to be in Augusta (about a two-hour drive away from Atlanta). Until I can persuade an Atlanta retailer to carry this product--and I'm dropping big hints--DRY Soda is sold online in 12-bottle packs (trust me, you wouldn't want any fewer).