Brits have starting gulping birch water, with the second birch water brand having been launched earlier this year. Packed with health claims and colorful lore, will its popularity bubble into U.S. markets? After all, “Coconut water as a thirst quencher is so last year,” according to our fair, balanced and hydrated friends at Fox News, who recently featured a birch water taste test.
Nordic people have savored birch water for ages as a rejuvenating tonic to cleanse body and soul after the long winter. The sap from which it’s made can only be harvested during a couple weeks in April, when the nutrients stored in the trees’ roots travel up through the tree to help it bloom. In its natural state, birch tree water lasts just two days before starting to spoil, but a bit of pasteurization can extend shelf life up to a year for those who feel like blooming in July or November.