Is Maple Water Is New The Coconut Water?

Maple water image provided

By now, you’ve most likely tried coconut water. It’s everywhere. But there’s a new “it” water in town, and some local (and some not-so-local) entrepreneurs are trying to tap (sorry) into this new water with the hopes it has the same kind of success that coconut water has had. Enter: maple water. To be clear, the only real similarity between the two “waters” is that it both comes from trees, and both come in Tetra Paks. But guess what? Do does wine.

The first to launch was Vertical Water, which says that it’s 100 percent pure water tapped from maple trees. This water comes from New York, and sadly, right now there is no Massachusetts distribution, so the only way to get it is to order from Amazon.

Shape magazine recently reported how they get the water:

A maple tree pulls water from the soil up through its roots and then vertically up into the trunk and back down through the trunk. The trees are tapped for this water, which is the same ingredient that’s boiled to make maple syrup. 

Vertical Water has 15 calories and 3 grams of naturally occurring sugars per eight-ounce serving, plus 30 percent of your daily recommended manganese, a trace mineral important for bone health, protection against free radicals, and nerve function. The company doesn’t add anything to their product—no sugars, artificial sweeteners, or preservatives—and it’s gluten-free and vegan.

Next on the market (launching mid-May) is DRINKmaple, a Concord-based company whose first product is simply called, “Maple.” Reps say it’s all-natural, plant-based water, drawn entirely from North American Maple trees, and will be the only maple water available at retailers in Boston. 

But back to the “North American Maple trees” part. Surely, these must come from New England, right? Nope. Company reps tell me that right now, the water comes from a family-run farm near Montreal, but they are already in talks with a farm in Vermont for 2015.

The company started when local athletes and healthy lifestyle enthusiasts Kate Weiler of Wayland, and Jeff Rose of Sudbury, were competing in a triathlon in Quebec and tried maple water for the first time. They loved it and their company was born. 

“Once we tasted maple water and experienced the benefits for ourselves, we were hooked,” Weiler says. “As a nutritionist and certified holistic health counselor, I’m always looking for new ways to nourish the body and I believe that maple water is Mother Nature’s way of providing us with natural, nutrient-rich hydration.”

The health claim is that maple water has 46 naturally occurring vitamins, minerals, polyphenols, electrolytes, and pre-biotics. It contains more manganese than a cup of kale. Manganese assists with improving thyroid health, bone strength, blood sugar levels, vitamin absorption, and the removal of free radicals from the body.

We have not yet tasted the product, but are looking forward to it. Especially when they bring the business operations to our region, since we all know that the best maple comes from New England.