When we walked the aisles at Natural Products Expo East in Baltimore in September, we spotted water for kids and adults, water with vitamins and fiber, water with caffeine and electrolytes, water made from sap and nuts, and, oh boy, did we see sparkling water. The annual trade show, where all the best natural and organic brands come to show off their products, was awash in all types of water. But here’s what was notably missing: beverages containing any type of caloric sweetener, including honey, agave and natural cane sugar.
Clearly, these sugar-heavy sweeteners are all fading fast in favor of fizz. We still found plenty of drinks containing zero- or low-calorie sweeteners such as fruit extract, stevia, monkfruit and erithrytol, but what we didn’t come across was much flat water. Expo East 2018 proved that we’re a carbonation nation.
In addition to all the new sparkling-water innovations, we are also jazzed about a new wave of tea-based ready-to-drink beverages, from flavor-rich kombuchas to functional teas designed to help us stress less, recover faster and balance our lives from the inside out.
Check out the 20 thirst-quenchers that caught our eyes at Expo East 2018.
