A dry-sodas taste test

Taste-testing dry sodas We TASTED more than three dozen sodas to find the driest, most aperitif-worthy substitutes. We tasted only chilled sodas from glass bottles (to avoid the metallic taste of cans) and sipped them in Champagne flutes. Sodas were judged for flavor, sugar content and carbonation style (whether the bubbles were light, like in a sparkling wine, or intense, like in a classic soda).Of the preferred sodas, two categories emerged. The first was made up of light, flavor-infused sodas more akin to sparkling wine; the second were fruit juice-based sodas that could double as cocktails. Sodas from the brand Dry Soda were the overall favorites because of their delicate, floral flavor, vibrant bubbles and truly dry finish. The remaining sodas each had their strengths but were noticeably sweeter.Sodas are listed by brand in order of preference and are available by the bottle or in four- or six-packs, depending on the soda and retailer. Several are available at local wine bars and restaurants, including Dry Soda (BottleRock in Culver City, Craft in Century City and BLD in Los Angeles), Vignette Wine Country Soda (Il Grano in Los Angeles and Akasha in Culver City) and Fever-Tree (Craft, Comme Ça in West Hollywood and Father’s Office in Culver City).Dry Soda Flavors tasted: kumquat, rhubarb, lavender and lemon grass. The hands-down favorite with truly dry, subtle flavors and floral aromas, these would make great wine substitutes before or during a meal. Available at Beverages & More stores, www.bevmo.com; Mel & Rose Liquor & Deli in Los Angeles, www.melandrose.com; and selected Whole Foods markets, www.wholefoods.com. About $7 for a four-pack of 12-ounce bottles.Stirrings Cocktail Sodas Flavors tasted: tart cranberry and pink grapefruit. True to their name, these sweet-tart sodas would work as cocktail substitutes with their good balance of fruity flavor and bright bubbles, though the cranberry had a somewhat artificial aftertaste. Available at Beverages & More stores; K & L Wine Merchants in Hollywood, www.klwines.com; and selected Whole Foods markets. About $6 for a four-pack of 6.3-ounce bottles.Fentimans Flavors tasted: Mandarin and Seville Orange Jigger and Victorian Lemonade. Plenty of fresh pulp and vibrant bubbles made these naturally carbonated (through fermentation) cocktail-style sodas a standout for one taster, a “little heavy on the sugar” for another. Available at Galco’s Soda Pop Stop in L.A.’s Highland Park neighborhood, www.sodapopstop.com. (In October, it will be produced for the first time in the U.S. at a brewery in Pennsylvania and should have wider distribution later this year.) About $3.50 for a 9.8-ounce bottle.GuS Flavors tasted: Star ruby grapefruit and dry pomegranate. These tangy sodas with a hint of pulp were well-balanced with refreshing, light bubbles like a nice sparkling cocktail but the flavors were a bit standard. At Beverages & More stores; Vicente Foods in Brentwood, (310) 472-5215; and select Gelson’s markets, www.gelsons.com. About $1.50 a bottle or $5 for a four-pack of 12-ounce bottles.Vignette Wine Country Soda Flavors tasted: Rosé, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Although they were back-porch sippable with pleasant flavors, tasters thought that characteristics of the grape varieties did not come through and the carbonation was weak. At Bay Cities Italian Deli, in Santa Monica, www.baycitiesitaliandeli.com; Surfas in Culver City, www.surfasonline.com; and the Wine Exchange in Orange, www.winex.com. About $2.25 for one 12-ounce bottle.San Pellegrino Flavors tasted: Sparkling Aranciata, Limonata and Chinotto. Although these sodas are on the sweeter side, the Limonata (lemon) was nicely balanced. The Chinotto (a bitter cousin of blood orange) was deemed “the perfect nonalcoholic bitter aperitif substitute” by one taster, while another found it too bitter. Available at Beverages & More stores (Aranciata and Limonata in cans only); Galco’s; and well-stocked supermarkets. About $6.50 for a six-pack of 6.75-ounce bottles.Fever-Tree Flavors tasted: tonic water and bitter lemon. These artisan British cocktail mixers are pleasantly bitter with a bright, complex flavor, although on the sweet side when imbibed without spirits (a splash of soda water might sub for the alcohol). Available at Beverages & More stores ( www.bevmo.com) and selected Whole Foods markets. About $6 for a four-pack of 6.8-ounce bottles.--Jenn GarbeeTimes staff writer Amy Scattergood contributed to this report.