Dry

REAL builds its drinks through fermentation rather than by removing alcohol from a finished liquid. The company ferments Camellia sinensis tea leaves with a natural yeast and bacteria culture: the yeast produces alcohol from the tea's sugars and the bacteria then consumes most of that alcohol and converts it into acids, arriving at roughly 0.5% ABV without a dealcoholization step. REAL argues that the Spinning Cone Column process used by other non-alcoholic drinks strips out essential flavour compounds and esters, and that its own route preserves the delicate volatiles that heat or reverse osmosis can lose. The brews are neither flavoured nor sweetened, with nothing added after fermentation.

Palate. Dry Dragon is citrusy and refreshing, with notes of lemon and grapefruit. It is positioned as a non-alcoholic alternative to Sauvignon Blanc. REAL characterises it as a lighter, all-day drink with a bit of a kick.^[1],[2]

Structure. Points the evidence supports:^[2]

• Body: lighter
• Acidity: citrusy, refreshing

Ingredients Policy. REAL declares Dry vegan, gluten-free and all-natural.^[3]

Production. REAL ferments in large stainless steel vessels of 10,000 litres, applying yeast and bacterial cultures to a tea and sugar substrate, and operates a fermentary on the Rothschild estate that opened at the end of 2022. The company reports a patented fermentation process drawing on a 'spice rack' of 80 yeasts and 130 bacteria, each DNA-tested and isolated to understand how it behaves and combines; the strains are code-named after characters from A Midsummer Night's Dream, including Puck, Oberon and Helena.