Dry Wit: Complex, Celebratory Sippers

Megan Dayton and Peder Schweight are the co-founders of Dry Wit, a non-alcoholic beverage brand born from their shared commitment to health, hospitality, and sophisticated flavor. As non-drinkers, they saw a significant gap in the market for refined, food-friendly alternatives to wine that are free from added sugar, caffeine, and alcohol—safe even for pregnancy. Combining Megan’s design background and personal journey toward sobriety with Peder’s deep experience in hospitality and spirits, the pair launched Dry Wit in January 2023. Their line of complex, celebratory sippers—crafted in Minneapolis and served in wine bottles—aims to elevate the ritual of dining without compromise. DeliveryRank features an exclusive interview.

What inspired the creation of Dry Wit, and how did your personal experiences influence its development?

I (Megan) stopped drinking because I truly needed to—alcohol had become a destructive companion, and I knew I was heading down a dark path. When I made the decision to quit, I quickly realized there was nothing truly delicious, low in calories, and suitable to enjoy with a meal. This was about eight years ago, and at the time, no such beverage existed. So I set out to find—or create—something that fit those needs.

In the process, I was fortunate to meet Peder, who at the time was the General Manager and Spirits Director of an exceptional restaurant. We connected instantly, and together, we began to conceptualize what a food-friendly, sophisticated wine alternative should look and taste like. This exploration took place during COVID—an ideal time, really, to immerse ourselves in such a creative project.

Does Dry Wit taste like wine? Perhaps not in the conventional sense, but it does what wine does in the mouth. It awakens your palate—your tongue tingles, you salivate, and you’re primed to enjoy food. Crucially, it does so without the downsides of alcohol—no hangovers, no headaches, no compromises.

What makes wine so effective with food is its alcohol content, which acts as a solvent and enhances flavor perception. Sugar can do something similar, lending body and texture. But in our case, we chose to avoid both. So we focused on the other components that support and elevate food: acidity, tannin, and salinity. We experimented with these variables, adjusting their levels to complement different moments of a meal. For example, a beverage with low tannins, high acidity, and carbonation feels light and playful—perfect as an aperitif. Increase the tannins, dial up the botanicals and structure, and you have something that complements more substantial fare. At the far end of the spectrum, higher tannins give the drink the character to stand up to hearty braises or stews, mimicking the role of red wine.

We also intentionally bottle Dry Wit in beautiful wine bottles to preserve the ritual—the joy of opening a bottle and sharing it with others. That ritual elevates the entire dining experience.

Personally, I open a bottle of Dry Wit in the afternoon just as I would a bottle of sparkling wine. Whether I’m enjoying the shade in my garden or celebrating life’s little moments, it always fits. As Churchill famously said: “In victory, champagne; in defeat, champagne.” There’s never a wrong time.

What I love most about Dry Wit is how it expands the possibilities for enjoyment. For instance, I adore making breakfast on the weekends—scrambled eggs and a glass of Salinger (our white wine alternative) make a perfect pairing. And the best part? I can enjoy the whole bottle on a Saturday morning and still have my entire day ahead of me, clear and intact.

Can you elaborate on the process of crafting Dry Wit's unique non-alcoholic blends using botanicals and juice?

Absolutely. What we're doing is really a hybrid process—drawing on techniques from kombucha brewing, beer making, and winemaking to create a completely unique beverage. While our product operates in the wine space in terms of its presence and pairing at the table, the methods we use to craft it are more diverse and nuanced.

We start by brewing tea, but not in the traditional sense. These are herbal extractions—botanicals rather than caffeinated teas—so technically, we're making a tisane. We blend that herbal infusion with wine grape juice, a touch of salt, and a bit of vinegar. The salt and vinegar act as natural preservatives, allowing the mixture to rest in the fridge for several weeks. During that time, the essential oils and resins released from the botanicals—like pine, linden, and bay leaf—steep and settle into the liquid, creating remarkable depth of flavor.

After that extended cold infusion, we filter out all the particulate matter—the resins, oils, and plant remnants—leaving a clean yet deeply layered liquid. We then carbonate it, much like you would with soda or an American-style sparkling wine, using pressurized tanks before bottling.

So while it may look like a wine and is designed to pair like one, what’s inside the bottle is a beautifully complex, handcrafted beverage that brings together a spectrum of traditional and innovative techniques.

How does Dry Wit aim to redefine the non-alcoholic beverage experience, particularly in social and dining settings?

Wine—when consumed mindfully—encourages an ongoing reexamination of one’s relationship to alcohol. It invites a moment of pause and reflection. Even for those who choose to drink, there's value in moderation and intentionality. You can’t, or rather shouldn’t, drink freely and excessively every time you sit down at the table. Yes, people do—but that often leads to undesirable consequences.

That’s why even those who drink can benefit from what's called "zebra striping" in the industry: alternating between alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. This approach extends the pleasure of the drinking experience and the meal itself. It allows every course to have a thoughtful pairing, even if you’re only having a single glass of wine. You fill in the gaps with sophisticated, alcohol-free options that complement the food just as beautifully.

Interestingly, we’ve found that many of our customers are, in fact, drinkers—people who still enjoy alcohol but appreciate having a refined, non-alcoholic option to enhance their dining experience.

In an industry traditionally dominated by alcohol-centric narratives, how do you see Dry Wit contributing to a cultural shift toward more inclusive, mindful drinking experiences—both in social rituals and consumer behavior?

Inclusion is truly at the heart of why we created Dry Wit—and why we chose to serve it in large-format bottles. What we missed most about wine wasn't just the complexity or the excitement of discovering new flavors, but the communal experience it fosters. Sitting down to a meal and being the only one without something to share from the bottle can feel incredibly isolating. That doesn’t align with the spirit of hospitality, which should make everyone feel welcomed, seen, and valued at the table.

We were committed to ensuring that everyone could partake in this ritual. My partner was pregnant while we were developing our flavors, so we had to be exceptionally mindful of what ingredients we used. Megan didn’t want added sugar, and pregnancy restricts an astonishing number of ingredients—adaptogens, certain teas, and even many of the functional beverages on the market. These limitations actually became our creative framework and led us to develop something truly inclusive, a beverage that nearly anyone can enjoy without compromise.

While we haven’t been medically peer-reviewed, we’ve taken great care to use ingredients that not only taste good but support the experience of dining. Just like wine, Dry Wit initiates the salivary process with its tannin and acidity, supporting digestion and enhancing the enjoyment of food. The result is that even after a rich meal—say, pâté or stew—you feel lighter, not weighed down.

From a health and wellness standpoint, Dry Wit also stands apart. A glass contains just 10 to 15 calories, compared to around 120 calories in a glass of red wine. Simply by excluding added sugar, we’ve created something that brings all the sensory joy of a great bottle of wine—without the downsides.

Given the increasing demand for wellness-conscious products, how do you balance flavor innovation, health considerations, and the emotional resonance of traditional wine culture in your product development strategy?

In our view, we’re doing something truly right with Dry Wit. The mental and emotional wellness it supports is, frankly, unparalleled. When we first began, the restrictions we were working within—no added sugar, pregnancy-safe, clean label—were significant. But instead of feeling limited, we focused on crafting something that genuinely tasted good and fulfilled our core needs. What surprised us most was that, in the end, we created a product that was not only delicious but also exceptionally clean and beneficial.

The side effects, if you can call them that, have been wonderful. It’s low in calories, high in acidity—which aids digestion—and entirely free of anything we'd want to avoid. My three-year-old loves it, and we don’t limit how much she can have with a meal. At worst, she ends up wildly hydrated after three glasses. That’s the extent of the "damage." It’s a beverage that delights, nourishes, and supports well-being, all without trying too hard. That’s what I love most—it’s wellness as a delightful side effect.

As for growth, we’re absolutely thinking about it. Right now, we don’t export outside Minnesota, and even within the state, most of our accounts are within 50 miles. There’s one or two a bit farther, but for now our footprint is small and intentional. Expansion is definitely on the horizon.

If you would like to find out more about Dry Wit, please visit https://drywit.com/