Welcome back to FTW’s Beverage of the Week series. Here, we mostly chronicle and review beers, but happily expand that scope to any beverage (or food) that pairs well with sports. Yes, even cookie dough whiskey.
I was kinda bummed out by coconut water the first time I tried it. It didn’t taste like coconut in any way I’d known it; it just tasted like water that was harder to drink.
Still, I trudged through cartons of Vita Coco (and others) for nutrients and, in the spirit of honestly, in hopes of toning down or warding off hangovers. For the most part, however, the only way I could get through a full serving was if it were mixed with another, better fruit. Lemon, strawberry, etc.
This set a low bar for Strange Water, a new coconut water offering promising coconuts and, uh, well, water. Occasionally with bubbles, but yeah. It’s pretty much as basic as you can get when it comes to coconut water.
Can it exceed my low expectations and by the nutrient-delivering vehicle I’d always wanted? Let’s see what we’ve got.
Coconut Water: A-
Cracking the can unleashes a wave of toasted coconut. This smells like a macaroon, which, hell yeah. It’s great; if not a beverage this would make one hell of a candle.
Weird praise, I know.
The first sip backs that up. There’s a certain underlying sweetness that makes this the kind of coconut I want to know. It’s not Almond Joy sugary, but it’s undeniable. That makes it a solid departure from the Vita Cocos (Vitas Coco?) of the world. It’s even more impressive that it pulls this off, per the can, with nothing but coconut water and vitamin C in the ingredient list.
There’s a slight thickness to this that will be familiar to anyone who has had coconut water before. But there’s much more of a defined flavor here than I’ve had in other brands. This tastes like the best parts of the fruit … er, nut. Only slightly, toward the end, do you get the organic, slightly stale flavor that comes with most coconut waters.
I’ll say I’m slightly disappointed I’m drinking this at the pool and not at 11 am the morning after drinking too much (for work. Always for work). While other coconut waters have been at least slightly difficult to pound, this goes down easy. My one complaint is the slightly denser water leaves each sip with a slightly sloppy finish. That’s nothing a few bubbles can’t fix, however…
Sparkling Coconut Water: A
This one is even more pungent than the still water after cracking the can. I’m at the pool and, even with the can three feet from my nose, I can smell it clearly. It’s toasty, sweet coconut all the way through. Like someone put some sunscreen on the grill.
I assure you, that’s a good thing. The first sip suggests this is even sweeter than the still version, which doesn’t make much sense since the only change in the ingredient list is a minor amount of citric acid. That acid clocks in slightly toward the end, teaming with the carbonation to snap off each sip dryly. That takes care of my biggest complaint from the first can of Strange Water; that slightly sloppy, syrupy aftertaste.
That makes this the best coconut water I’ve ever had. Where other versions have needed outside flavor to shine, Strange Water creates a refreshing, crushable drink with three very basic ingredients. There’s a little sweetness, a little tart and a lot of room for the coconut to shine in a way that’s bright and clear. It’s not quite candy, but it’s nowhere near as dull and listless as Vita Coco.
I want to say this can lasted maybe 10 minutes at the pool. Granted, part of that is because I am a goon and knocked it over for a hot second, but still. I’m a little sad I don’t have a hangover on which to unleash this. Ah well, maybe next time.
Would I drink it instead of a Hamm’s?
This is a pass/fail mechanism where I compare whatever I’m drinking to my baseline cheap beer. That’s the standby from the land of sky-blue waters, Hamm’s. So the question to answer is: on a typical day, would I drink Strange Water over a cold can of Hamm’s?
I’d drink it in between Hamm’s in order to prevent a hangover. Or maybe just because. It’s the sweet coconut drink for which I’d been waiting.