But what is Harmless Harvest - with its sweet, fresh, nutty flavor - doing that all those other companies are not? Why does their coconut water actually taste like water from a freshly cracked coconut? First, I decided to round up and try as many unflavored, pulp-free coconut water brands as I could find, making sure to include the big players, plus some smaller guys, too. I've long pondered the disparity between the two, and it really wasn't until Harmless Harvest hit the scene that I finally gave in to ready-to-drink coconut water. Sure, those polyethylene plastic and aluminum - lined Tetra Pak containers (Vita Coco was the first to bring the Tetra Pak from Brazil to the U.S.) pushed slogans like 100% pure, hydration by nature, and nature factor, in attempts to market themselves as the real deal, but anyone who has tried a fresh coconut versus the packaged kind understands the flavor difference. Until Harmless Harvestcame on the scene during the summer of 2011, coconut water was mostly relegated to juice box brands that never quite tasted fresh. Technavio estimates that before 2019 the coconut water category will shoot up to $4 billion.Īll photos by Alex Ulreich unless otherwise noted. And that rapid growth is only expected to continue. Regardless of its exact value, it's obvious that the coconut water biz is on fire. It's also worthwhile to note that those numbers only account for coconut water sales from retailers who report to tracking agencies, and a Vita Coco rep estimates that the industry is probably worth closer to $1.9 billion. And there's good reason that it seems like you can't get away from it. Taking a closer look at the numbers, last year, according to market research company Technavio, coconut water was a $1.3 billion industry, as compared to $100-150 million back in 2004. Coconut water is at events, it's in your cocktail, it's helping you to not feel hungover (hi, potassium!). Whole Foods carries tons of brands (plus its own), but even drugstores and gas stations stock the stuff. Each began as an independent outfit, but The Coca-Cola Company eventually bought Zico and PepsiCo went on to claim O.N.E.įrom a consumer standpoint, coconut water seems to now be sold everywhere. Vita Coco was first to market in 2004, two other now ubiquitous brands followed closely behind that year: Zico and O.N.E. Coconut water has really only become a thing in the last decade or so, and prolific brand Vita Coco is credited with instigating the hype back in 2004 when friends Michael Kirban and Ira Liran founded the company, inspired by the popularity of packaged, ready-to-drink coconut waters sold in Brazil and other parts of South America.
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