Coconut Water in Coffee: My Summer Hydration Hack

This summer started out pretty good in my books. A cool breeze and a lot of rain. I know, I'm sorry, but I love the rain. There's just something about a raging thunderstorm in the middle of summer that excites me beyond reason.

But lately, it has been HOT. The kind of hot that sits on your chest the second you step outside. And I'm not one to complain given the intense winters we get around here. We earn our summers. But alas, here I am, complaining.

Some days all I want to do is drink good coffee, eat a whole pile of mangoes, and nap until September. Bliss.

But I'm an adult. And I've been told repeatedly that adulting doesn't pause for a humid day. So instead, I started getting creative with how I stay energized and hydrated without sacrificing the one non-negotiable part of my day: good coffee.

The answer? Coconut water + Mood coffee.

The power of coconut water

There's a reason you see tanks of lime green Gatorade lined up at every sports game with the players guzzling it down during hydration breaks. In short, electrolytes help your body hydrate and hold on to water for longer. When you sweat, you're losing water and key minerals along with it. That's why plain water alone doesn't always cut it on a very humid day. Replacing the minerals matters just as much as replacing the fluid.

Coconut water happens to be naturally rich in these key minerals. It's essentially nature's version of that sports drink.

Picture coffee and coconut water together. They are a surprisingly good match, and pairing the two gives you the hydration boost and the caffeine lift in one glass. Plus, it tastes great so I see this as a win-win.

Here are four ways I've been drinking it this summer, starting with the one I keep coming back to.

NOTE: You can easily swap the espresso for concentrated cold brew or concentrated coffee in any of the recipes below.

1. Iced Latte with Coconut Water Ice

This is my current favourite. It's sublime!

Freeze coconut water in ice cube trays ahead of time. Fill your glass with the coconut water ice. Pour in your milk of choice, leaving room at the top for a double shot of espresso, roughly 40 to 60ml. Pull your espresso fresh and pour it over top. As the ice melts, it slowly sweetens and lightens the drink, a nice trick regular ice cubes can't pull off. Magical.

2. Coconut Water Americano

Fill your glass with ice, or the coconut water ice if you've got it on hand. Pour in coconut water, again leaving room for your double shot. Top with a freshly pulled double espresso. You can add milk here too if you want it creamier, but I usually skip it. The natural sweetness of the coconut water plays so well with espresso that you can enjoy it completely on its own, coffee and coconut water doing their thing together.

3. Cold Brew, Coconut Water Style

If you've made my cold brew concentrate before, you already know the method. Try swapping your dilution water for coconut water. It's the same ratio and process but with a slightly elevated result. It gives off a lot of je ne sais quoi vibes.

4. Espresso Tonic with Sparkling Coconut Water

For this one I like using Thirsty Buddha's sparkling coconut water, a Canadian company doing great things in this space. Fill your glass with ice or coconut water ice. Top with the sparkling coconut water, leaving room for your double shot. Pour the espresso over top and sip away. This one feels like the kind of drink you'd order on a patio and then immediately go make at home because why pay twelve dollars for it.

A few notes before you start experimenting

Not all coconut water is created equal. Some brands add sugar or flavouring, which will throw off the balance in these recipes. Look for one that's unsweetened if you want the espresso to stay the star of the show. And if you're making the coconut water ice, do yourself a favour and make a double batch. You'll go through it faster than you think!

Mood pairs well with natural ingredients

There's something fitting about pairing coconut water with our coffee specifically. Every coffee we roast comes from women farmers, co-ops, and collectives working closely with the land, letting the bean tell its own story through careful, minimal processing. Not to mention that Mood's coffees work well with all brew methods and are so versatile.

Put the two together and you get something that really shines.

That's kind of the whole idea behind Mood anyway. Letting simple ingredients and careful sourcing speak for themselves.