'Dry' has slightly different meanings in different contexts. In wine, dry means no perceptible residual sugar — the sugars from the grapes have been fully converted to alcohol during fermentation. Bone-dry wines have less than 4 grams of sugar per litre; off-dry wines have 4–12 g/L; medium-sweet to sweet wines have more. In gin, 'dry' (as in London Dry or Dry Gin) refers to no added sugar — modern gin standards typically allow under 0.1g/L sugar. In vermouth, dry vermouth is the lower-sugar version, while sweet vermouth has substantially more added sugar. The 300 mentions of dry across 14 categories on LivCheers reflect this descriptor's importance across multiple drink types.

These are different perceptions easily confused. Dry refers specifically to lack of sweetness — a dry wine has no residual sugar. Bitter refers to the taste perceived at the back of the tongue, often from tannin, hops, or specific compounds. Sour refers to acidity — sharp, sometimes mouth-watering character. A wine can be dry (no sugar) and not bitter or sour. A bitter beer (an IPA) is hop-bitter but not necessarily sweet or sour. A sour beer is acidic but might be off-dry. Each descriptor refers to a different sensory perception.