Dry Juniper

Dry Soda was started in 2005 by Sharelle Klaus after experimenting in her own kitchen. According to the company, "As a food and wine lover, she grew frustrated with the lack of options available to pair with fine meals. Sharelle hoped for a drink that was simple, all-natural, caffeine-free, low in sugar and made with the highest quality ingredients - a beverage that could complement great food or act as a light refreshment on its own."

While this will be my first tasting of one of the Dry Soda brand drinks there is an entirely unique line up of flavors from Dry, with offerings like juniper, cucumber, kumquat, lavender, lemongrass, vanilla bean and rhubarb. The Dry Soda website also lists suggested food pairings for each of its flavors as well as suggested liqueur mixes. They list quail, antipasto, mussels and venison among the food pairings for the juniper soda and suggest mixing with gin (imagine that!) or citron vodka.

As you can see the packaging could not be simpler for this drink. In fact the bottle was difficult to photograph. A juniper is a coniferous member of the cypress family. The berries are used to flavor gin and some sauces and were used by ancient cultures for medicinal properties. I'm not sure what to expect as the bottle lists pine essence on it and I'm not a big fan of gin. It has a very fresh aroma, like being in the mountains in the crisp air and is lightly carbonated. It's a very clean and light flavor like a very watery tonic. A whole serving (12 oz bottle) is only 55 calories, so this might be a good choice for a dieter who still needs soda. As I continue through the bottle I'm amazed that it's not anything like what I was expecting. This flavoring is so light and crisp I can imagine it would have a million possible uses within the food and alcohol communities. So if you're planning an elegant summer dinner party on the patio this might be a good choice for your non-drinking guests.