Dry
Also known as: less sweet, brut
In cocktails, refers to drinks made with less sweet vermouth or simply less sweetness overall; in wines and vermouths, indicates low residual sugar content.
In the cocktail world, dry has multiple related meanings that all connect to reduced sweetness. Understanding these uses helps when ordering drinks and selecting ingredients. When applied to cocktails, dry typically means less sweet vermouth or less sweetness overall. A dry Martini contains less vermouth than a standard recipe. An extra dry Martini uses minimal vermouth - perhaps just a rinse of the glass. A bone dry Martini has virtually no vermouth at all. This usage stems from wine terminology, where dry indicates low residual sugar. A dry wine has fermented nearly all its sugar into alcohol. Sweet wines retain sugar. Vermouth, being a fortified wine, follows this same classification - dry vermouth has less sugar than sweet vermouth. The dry Martini evolution illustrates changing tastes. Original Martinis used roughly equal parts gin and vermouth. Over decades, the drink became progressively drier, with some modern drinkers preferring barely any vermouth. The pendulum has swung back somewhat in craft cocktail bars, where more balanced Martinis have regained popularity. Dry vermouth itself is a crucial cocktail ingredient beyond Martinis. French-style dry vermouths like Dolin Dry and Noilly Prat are pale in color with herbal, floral notes. They appear in the Martini, El Presidente, and Bronx cocktail among others. When someone orders a drink dry, they want reduced sweetness. A dry Manhattan uses less sweet vermouth than standard. However, a Dry Manhattan (capital D) specifically substitutes dry vermouth for sweet vermouth entirely - a different drink also called a Diplomat. The perfect designation uses equal parts dry and sweet vermouth. A Perfect Martini or Perfect Manhattan splits the vermouth component between both styles, creating a balanced middle ground. Understanding dry helps communicate preferences to bartenders. If you find Martinis too vermouth-forward, order it dry. If you enjoy vermouth, specify that you want a classic ratio or even say wet to indicate more vermouth than usual. Dry also describes certain spirits and liqueurs. Dry gin emphasizes botanical dryness over sweetness. Dry curacao has less sugar than standard orange liqueur. In each case, dry signals a less sweet profile.
💡 Pro Tips
- Dry Martini equals less vermouth, not no vermouth
- Extra dry means minimal vermouth, bone dry means almost none
- Perfect means equal parts dry and sweet vermouth
- Specify your preference - dry means different things to different bartenders
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Thinking dry means stronger - it just means less sweet
- Not specifying how dry you want your Martini
- Confusing dry with dirty - completely different modifications
- Assuming dry vermouth and sweet vermouth are interchangeable
