When it comes to spending time with friends and loved ones, it’s not uncommon for an evening of cocktails and drinks to be on the agenda. But it’s clear from wellness trends that people are growing tired of the toll that alcohol can take on our mental and physical health. If you’re working on cutting alcohol out of your life but still enjoy a cocktail here and there, try adding coconut water drinks to your rotation!
Vita Coco coconut water mocktails and cocktails are delicious, and they can help you stay hydrated whether you choose to enjoy alcohol or not. Read on to learn more about the health benefits of drinks with coconut water — plus some tasty, low-sugar coconut water mocktail and cocktail recipes to help your body get the electrolytes you need while you drink.
Is Drinking Coconut Water Good for You?
Coconut water is a healthy drink option that provides a unique tropical flavor without introducing a load of sugar. This naturally low-calorie, low-fat drink is full of electrolytes like potassium and calcium that help keep you hydrated, no matter how you drink it1. And that’s not all — research also shows that the nutrients from coconut water may help support both gut health2 and urinary health3.
Whether you drink it on its own, use it as a base for a coconut water protein shake or smoothie, or add it to a coconut water recipe for mocktails or cocktails, I can’t help but be a massive coconut water fan.
Why Use Coconut Water in Cocktails?
It may seem counterintuitive to add coconut water to your cocktails — but that’s part of the reason why it works so well. You know that common rule of thumb that suggests you should have a glass of water with every cocktail you drink? Well, coconut water drinks make that process a bit more efficient by hydrating you while you sip your cocktail. While it’s not an exact science (we still recommend pausing to have a glass of water on your night out!), the hydrating qualities of coconut water certainly can’t hurt.
Whether it’s a coconut water pineapple drink or a coconut water tequila drink, this natural hydration solution can help offset some of the hangover symptoms you may have the morning after drinking alcohol. In fact, I even wrote another article called Why a Registered Dietitian Says Coconut Water is the Best Hangover Remedy — coconut water cocktails just take it a step further by aiming to prevent a hangover before it happens.
Coconut Water Drinks for Everyone
If you don’t want to incorporate coconut water in your cocktails, no problem! One to two cups daily of coconut water on its own can help provide health benefits for hydration.
Alternatively, coconut water mocktails are a kid-friendly and alcohol-free way to enjoy a drink that feels slightly more elevated. Mocktail recipes with coconut water can also help someone who doesn’t love the taste to still reap its health benefits. Keep reading for healthy mocktail and cocktail recipes with coconut water that can help boost hydration and transport you to the tropics.
Why Use Vita Coco Coconut Water?
Before we dive into the recipes, let’s talk about what coconut water to use in your drinks. As a Registered Dietitian, I like to recommend Vita Coco products to my clients. Their products are sourced from tens of thousands of farms across the Philippines, where the tropical climate helps coconuts thrive. Coconuts represent a major industry in the Philippines and are vital to the local economy. Vita Coco is focused on ensuring that these coconut farms are as sustainable as possible, planting new seedlings and supporting future generations of high-quality coconut-producing trees4.
Plus, the Farmers Organic coconut water comes specifically from USDA certified-organic farms. This means the farms have been rigorously reviewed for the quality of their soil, pest control, and more to ensure their coconuts are of the highest natural quality.
I also love the Pressed version of Vita Coco coconut water. Its extra coconutty flavor makes it unique, and the addition of all-natural coconut cream provides a small amount of healthy fats.
As an added bonus, each Vita Coco coconut water drink comes in an eco-friendly Tetra Pak, which is a BPA-free, eco- and socially responsible form of packaging. It’s made from sustainable wood fiber, and keeps Vita Coco fresh for up to 12 months. When you’re done, simply dispose of it with your other recyclables!
Ways to Enjoy Coconut Water: Recipe Ideas
One of the best things about coconut water is how versatile it is. Vita Coco coconut water tastes great in smoothies or protein shakes for a splash of coconut flavor, and the Pressed version or Vita Coco coconut milk product both work great as a natural creamer option. You can also use Vita Coco coconut water as a base for chia pudding recipes, or you can add it to sorbet, soup, or sauces instead of water to add a light tropical flavor to such dishes.
But of all the ways to drink coconut water, my favorite way might be to enjoy it in cocktail and mocktail recipes. Take these coconut water mocktail and cocktail recipes for a spin to add some tropical flavor to your social routine.
Cocktail and Mocktail Recipes
These three quick and easy coconut water drink recipes can help inject some hydrating electrolytes into your cocktails. All of these recipes are flexible, so feel free to add a shot of alcohol to the mocktail recipe or eliminate alcohol from the cocktail recipes to suit what you’re feeling that day! And if you’re feeling more of a beach-y, hydrating vibe, up the amount of Vita Coco Original Coconut Water in the recipe. Or if you want to up the creamy coconut vibe, go for the Vita Coco Pressed Coconut Water — it’s seriously delicious!
BTW, we love making our cocktails with these beautiful crystal clear ice cubes. They truly elevate any cocktail or mocktail. They melt slower, and all impurities are removed, which gives it a pretty, crystal clear look.
Coconut Water Mezcalita with Tajin Rim
Ingredients
Prep
Place a tablespoon or two of Tajin on a small plate. Rub your orange or tangerine around the rim of your glass (using the orange vs. the lime is better, because the orange has more sugar for the Tajin to stick to). Rim your glass with Tajin.
Add one crystal clear ice cube to your glass (or any ice cubes you have). Measure out your orange or tangerine juice and add it to your glass with the Vita Coco Coconut Water and Mezcal. Stir to combine.
Finish with a squeeze of fresh lime and a sprig of thyme. Enjoy!
Coconut Water + Rum: Caribbean Street Drink
Ingredients
Prep
Combine all ingredients in your favorite cocktail glass, stir to combine and finish with a squeeze of lime. Enjoy immediately!
Coconut Water Pineapple Juice Mocktail
Ingredients
- ½ cup Vita Coco Farmers Organic Coconut Water
- ¾ cup pineapple juice
- ¼ cup cucumber juice (about 1 medium size cucumber juiced or blitzed in a blender, then strained if desired)
- Optional: 1 teaspoon of honey if desired (taste for natural sweetness before adding)
- 1 wedge of fresh lime
Prep
Juice pineapple in a high speed blender like a Vitamix or a juicer. I like the Vitamix because it leaves the pulp in and makes it frothy (and it’s great for digestion!). If you don’t have a Vitamix, the pineapple juice from a juicer works well too, it will just be slightly less frothy.
Place all ingredients in a mason jar with a lid, shake to combine. Enjoy immediately.
If you want to make batches of this drink in advance, plan to make enough for three days — after that, it’s not nearly as good. You can also freeze batches and take it out of the freezer as needed.
Add a Tropical Twist to Your Drinks
Living a healthy lifestyle doesn’t necessarily mean you have to give up your favorite cocktails. Adding coconut water to your drinks can help you stay hydrated, avoid a hangover, and enjoy a delicious tropical flavor. Try Vita Coco today to try out these mocktails and cocktails using coconut water for healthier, more intentional drinking this year and beyond.
Sources:
- https://academic.oup.com/ecco-jcc/article/18/Supplement_1/i1877/7586704?login=false
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38278200/
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9262403/
- https://vitacoco.com/pages/impact
