Wednesday, February 15, 2012

What's in a name? DRY Soda

I used to drink diet pop exclusively. From the time I was in my teens, it was all diet soda all the time (see, I'm bi-dialectic - I say both soda AND pop!)

Many many years of the diet stuff. Then, I decided it was time to start eliminating artificial additives and chemicals and preservatives. So that meant diet pop - with its artificial sugar - had to go. I switched to regular soda.

Then a funny thing happened. It got to a point where regular soda started tasting really, really sweet. A can of pop with a sandwich seemed as incongruous as eating a bite of a candy bar in between bites of sandwich. I couldn't finish a whole can in an afternoon. If I was thirsty, I'd grab a glass of water instead of opening a can of pop. I lost my taste for soda over time. It wasn't that I tried to give it up - I just didn't want it much any more.

Every once in a while a fizzy drink sounds like a good idea, like on a really hot day. Or ginger ale when I don't feel well. But I never found a soda that I cared to drink regularly.

When I heard about DRY Soda, it sounded interesting. Less sweet, fewer ingredients, no freaky chemicals. When I was offered a chance to review it, I figured I had nothing to lose. Sure, bring it on.

The first thing I noticed is that despite the fact these are DRY Sodas, they're actually wet. Haha. I crack me up.

Actually, the first thing I noticed was that they were all perfectly clear. That's mysterious. No hint at the flavor based on the color of the drink. And obviously no artificial colors. Speaking of flavors, they weren't the usual. The first one I saw was cucumber. Then there was wild lime, vanilla bean, blood orange, rhubarb, lavender, and juniper berry.

We tried the cucumber first, because it was the weirdest. It was very cucumber-y and very refreshing. This just might be my go-to drink this summer. It tasted clean and fresh. It made me start thinking about what foods to pair it with.

Vanilla bean reminded me of cream soda, but without the thick sweetness. Wild lime was amazingly good. The one I was a little worried about was the lavender. That's a tricky flavor. It can taste too floral and even a little soapy. Instead, it tasted ... purple. Hard to explain, but it reminded me a little of grape, but not quite. Good stuff and not at all like grandma's soap.

Overall, there wasn't one that I'd refuse if it was offered, and quite a few that I'd ask for. And I'm looking forward to trying some other flavors. The only downside to this stuff is that I'm going to have to make room in the fridge for it now. Yeah, it's that good.
Yum