What We Drink When It Gets Hot

When temperatures climb, plain water often stops feeling inspiring. The NIH recommends drinking extra fluids during hot weather, but that does not mean every sip has to come from the same lukewarm bottle carried since breakfast. This summer, people are mixing things up, turning hydration into a rotation of flavored drinks, supplements, and skincare-infused beverages rather than just drinking water.

Fruity electrolytes for the fridge

Pressed Hydration+ Watermelon Dragon Fruit brings together coconut water, watermelon, dragon fruit, lemon, and lime with six essential electrolytes, including sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, zinc, and chloride. There is also 450 milligrams of L glutamine in the formula. What makes it especially right for summer is that it drinks more like something you would genuinely crave on a hot afternoon than a traditional sports drink. It is bright, fruity, and best served cold. We would grab this after a workout, throw one in a beach cooler, or reach for it during the afternoon slump when plain water simply is not inspiring anyone.

Gnarly Hydrate is for the days when summer involves considerably more activity than lying beside a pool. This one is firmly rooted in performance, with a full spectrum electrolyte formula designed around sustained activity and sweat. The current formula includes sodium, potassium, and magnesium, contains no artificial colors or sweeteners, and is NSF Certified for Sport. That makes it the one we would pack for a long hike, outdoor workout, bike ride, or any summer adventure where you know you are going to come back considerably sweatier than you left. The flavors also make it considerably more fun than the typical serious sports nutrition formula, with options including Orange Pineapple, Raspberry, Ruby Red Grapefruit, Lemonade, Salted Margarita, and Piña Colada.

Beauty rituals and convenience

This is hydration for the person whose wellness routine has somehow merged completely with their skincare routine. Pique B•T Fountain combines electrolytes and minerals with hyaluronic acid and ceramides, positioning hydration as part of a broader beauty from within ritual. We like it because it brings something completely different to the hydration conversation. This is not the packet we are necessarily grabbing before a marathon. It is the one we mix over ice in the morning because we already think about moisture everywhere else in our beauty routine, so why stop at the bathroom cabinet?

Hydration routines often shift based on the environment and lifestyle, a pattern that mirrors how people approach diet and exercise during different seasons. What works for a sedentary afternoon might fail for an active hike, and the product that fits a busy morning might not survive a long flight. The goal remains the same regardless of the method: replacing fluids lost to heat and activity without forcing yourself to drink something you hate.

Coconut water and gummies

There are trends in hydration, and then there is coconut water, which we will happily keep coming back to every summer. Harmless Harvest Organic Coconut Water remains one of our refrigerator staples, whether we are drinking the original organic coconut water straight from the bottle or reaching for one of the brand’s other variations, including coconut water with watermelon and sparkling coconut water. There is something about an ice cold bottle after being outside all day that just hits differently. We also love using it as the liquid base for smoothies or pouring it over plenty of ice with a squeeze of fresh lime when we want something that feels a little more intentional than opening another bottle of water.

Okay, technically we are not drinking Plant People’s Wonder Hydrate. We are chewing it. This takes the electrolyte category in a completely different direction with a sugar free, lychee flavored gummy. The formula includes electrolyte minerals such as magnesium and potassium, along with vitamin C and prebiotic fiber. We would not swap these in for actual fluid intake, obviously, but as an addition to a summer routine, the format is undeniably convenient. No shaker bottle. No powder mysteriously accumulating at the bottom of your tote. Just a hydration adjacent supplement you can keep at your desk or throw into a carry on.

Still and sparkling water

And then there are the days when what we really want is just very, very good water. Loonen takes a more considered approach to bottled water, starting with spring sourced water that is filtered, tested, and bottled exclusively in glass. The brand currently offers both still and sparkling versions. We particularly like the sparkling bottles for summer dinners, long lunches, and those late afternoons when we want something cold and fizzy without opening another functional beverage. Add citrus, fresh mint, or cucumber and suddenly drinking water feels significantly less like a task.