Photo: Courtesy Of Vertical Water.Several years and a sexy Rihanna ad campaign later, coconut water is still the coolest way to hydrate. And, it does have undeniable health benefits — whether or not you believe the hype. But, we think the best thing about all the craziness is that ultimately, it's helping people to drink more water — and that's always a good thing.
Which is partly why we're so intrigued by Vertical Water, a new product aimed squarely at the coconut-water set. Produced with help from research and technology developed by Cornell University, Vertical Water is basically maple water — sap from maple trees that forms when water is absorbed by the trees' roots and filtered upward through the trunk (hence the name). Along the way, the water picks up a small amount of sugar, as well as a number of nutrients, including electrolytes like magnesium and potassium. The result, according to the company's website, is an all-natural, low-calorie drink with a "lightly sweet, thirst-quenching taste," without added sugar.
One of our favorite things about Vertical Water, though? It's only got six grams of sugar (and 30 calories) per bottle. Compare that to almost 20 grams of sugar and 90 calories in the same volume of Vita Coco. We don't know about you, but we think we've found us a new favorite (non-water) drink. (Cornell Chronicle)