It’s officially the middle of the summer! And with the incoming heat, it’s important to keep yourself healthy and hydrated. Don’t worry if you’ve grown a bit bored with plain old water—we’ve got your hydro needs covered! Check out our list of fun and healthy water alternatives to keep things fresh.
Sparkling water
It’s water… but better? Like the shiny new model, there’s just something so alluring about sparkling water.
It’s just as hydrating as water, but the fizziness might actually help you feel fuller and a little less thirsty. Consider swapping out your sugary sodas for sugar-free sparkling water. For a refreshing treat, consider adding a few slices of lemon or lime—the acidity from citrus can help cut feelings of dry mouth.
Coconut water
Nutty, sweet, and chock-full of antioxidants, coconut water is basically one of the most popular water-alternatives out there. Coconut water is full of healthy minerals such as magnesium, potassium, calcium, and sodium, making it a perfect for replenishing electrolytes after a sweat-session.
When selecting coconut water, not all brands are created equal. Be sure to be on the watch for added sugars or flavoring—naturally pink-tinged waters are in the clear since the pink comes from a beneficial antioxidant! If you really want to take things to the next level, we recommend you tap it from the source. Scour your market for young coconuts, watch a few Youtube tutorials on how to crack coconuts, and voila!
Kombucha
The first sip, you either love it or hate it. Tangy, effervescent, and wonderfully refreshing, kombucha is like a hybrid of tea and vinegar, with all the benefits to boot. It’s made with tea, sugar, and a mushroom-like colony of yeast and bacteria, called a SCOBY—they naturally ferment into an antioxidant-full, probiotic-rich drink, which helps promote digestion and healthy gut flora.
This polarizing funky tea might take some getting used to but once you’re hooked, you’ll be a card-carrying member of the ’booch crew.
Aloe vera juice
Nothing screams summer heat release as much as slathering aloe vera gel on a fresh sunburn, but did you know you could drink aloe vera too? Hit up your local market and pick up a bottle of aloe vera juice.
Aloe vera juice is the sweet, slightly viscous but incredibly hydrating summer drink that you should be drinking. High in vitamin C, B, and E, the juice basically tastes exactly as it smells and can be helpful for digestive issues and constipation. Although you can technically drink it from the leaf, we recommend you look for food-safe varieties: when shopping, make sure you select purified and decolorized aloe vera juice.
Maple water
Move over coconut water, it might be time to turn over a new leaf! Enter maple water. Technically made from the sap of maple trees, this clear liquid is mildly sweet and slightly woodsy, almost like a very thin honey.
It shares a similar amount of electrolytes to coconut water, and contains a number of prebiotics and phytonutrients. However, maple water may have a slight edge over coconut water when it comes to calories and sustainability, as all maple water is distilled domestically. Still, maple water does contain a fair amount of sugar (although less than coconut water) and little iron, so as great and delicious as it is, we wouldn’t suggest you replace H20 just yet.
Hop water
It’s 11 a.m., and you feel a little bit parched. You’re trying to cut back on sugar, so soda is out of the question; you kind of want a beer, but it’s maybe too early. So what do you do?
Consider hop water: a drink made with deoxygenated water, yeast, and hops, which are the flowering parts of the artichoke-looking hop plant used in brewing. Basically an IPA minus the alcohol, hop water is said to have been first served as an alcohol-free drink to brewery workers, then to minors, before transitioning to the outside market.
Hop water is herbaceous, somewhat reminiscent of the essence of a woody-green perfume, and has zero sugar and zero calories. While hop water’s health benefits are unclear, hops do have a reputation in homeopathic medicine for aiding digestive issues, inflammation, and headaches. So the next time you’re feeling an ale but not the sticky drudge of a hangover, consider hop water.
Almond water
If there was a champagne version of fancy H20 derivatives, it’d be almond water. This light, delicately sweet drink makes you feel like a fancy lady from the south of France, which is basically what this beverage is inspired by.
Based on sirop d’orgeat, a syrup made from almonds, sugar, and rosewater, almond water doesn’t claim to have magical health properties—apart from being incredibly delicious. Still, it’s low in calories and, dare we say, intoxicating. Think of it as a bougie mocktail. And, hey, sometimes what’s good for you is what makes you happy.