The Ultimate Guide to Spa Water!
I don’t know about you, but I tend to get bored with the same old water-drinking routine. Even if I put it in a cool-looking water bottle, my brain still eventually says, “Meh.” Graduated bottles showing how much you’ve consumed so far? “Shrug.” Ice? “Sigh.”
An excellent way to switch up your water routine is to make Spa Water! It sounds all fancy, but really it’s just throwing some stuff in your water, and letting it steep for a while to get some extra flavor. It’s perfect for if you have been wanting motivation to hydrate more, need a pick-me-up, or for that extra level of refreshment on a hot summer day.
Step One: Grab some water. It doesn’t matter what the container is: a mug, a glass, a water bottle, etc., whatever you have on hand is perfect to get hydrating. It’s nice if you use good quality, filtered, fresh water, but don’t let perfect be the enemy of good.
Step Two: Find your ingredients. Start simple. Squeeze some lemon, slice up some limes and oranges into discs, and chuck it right in the water. If using fresh herbs, rinse them first. It also helps to crush the leaves up a little bit between your fingers before throwing them in, since it releases more flavor and essential oils trapped up in the plant material. If using berries, you can let them sit in the water for a longer time-release flavor, or you can slightly crush or muddle them to release the flavor quicker. Look below for ingredients and combination ideas!
Step Three: Let it sit for a while, or drink it right away. Some flavors (like lemon) work faster than others (like raspberries).
Step Four: Keep it cool; add more water, add ice. You can keep re-using the flavor ingredients in a mug, glass, or water bottle all day (but it’s best to switch to fresh ingredients tomorrow, since it’s out at room temp and you’re actively drinking out of it). If you’ve got a pitcher in the fridge, ingredients in water generally remain safe up to about 5-7 days as long as you keep them covered in water. Some flavors (like mint) will become very strong if allowed to sit that long, so it may take some experimenting with a pitcher, to see what your preferred balance is.
Step Five: Enjoy! Experiment!
Need some combination ideas? Check these out:
- Classic Spa Water: lemons, mint, strawberries
- Citrus Pick-Me-Up: Limes, oranges, grapefruit rounds
- Dreamsicle: orange slices, one vanilla bean, split, scraped, and the whole thing thrown in
- Floral Lemonade: lemons, lavender, rose petals (check with florist for edible flowers only!), the tiniest sprig of rosemary
- Fruit Salad: strawberry, kiwi, apples
- Heather’s Favorite: lemon slices, fresh sage leaves
- Mojito Light: Mint leaves, Lime rounds
- Mulled Cider: apples, pears, cinnamon sticks, nutmeg, cloves
- Pumpkin Pie Spices: cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods, vanilla bean
- Summertime: watermelon, cucumber, mint
- Work-Friendly-Cosmopolitan: Cranberries (slightly smashed/muddled), orange discs, lime discs
And there’s so much more that you could do! Blackberry and Pear. Basil and Grapefruit. Ginger and Peach. Lemon and Lavender. Apple and Pomegranate. Cherries and rose petals. Honeydew, rosemary, and ginger. Vanilla, kiwi, and cardamom. The possibilities are nearly endless!
Want to experiment with your own blends? Here is an ingredients list to get the creative juices (or creative waters?) flowing:
Level One: Just Starting Out!
- Lemon
- Lime
- Orange
- Strawberries
- Blueberries
- Mint
- Basil
- Sage
- Ginger, fresh and sliced
- Cinnamon Sticks
Level Two: Getting Creative!
- Raspberries
- Blackberries
- Cherries
- Grapes
- Clementines
- Apples
- Peaches
- Watermelon
- Pears
- Thyme, fresh sprigs
- Rosemary, fresh sprigs
- Rose petals (be sure to check with the florist, since many roses are sprayed with pesticides that are toxic if consumed)
- Cucumber
- Vanilla Beans, split and scraped
- Cloves
- Nutmeg, whole or slightly crushed
Level Three: Fancy, Fancy!
- Mango
- Pomegranate Arils
- Kiwi
- Pineapple
- Cantaloupe
- Honeydew
- Cranberries
- Lemongrass
- Lavender
- Cilantro
- Kaffir Lime Leaves
- Cardamom Pods, whole or slightly crushed
- Pistachios, whole or slightly crushed
- Allspice berries
Level Four: Unique/Experimental – Not for the Faint of Heart!
- Grapefruit
- Kumquats
- Tomato
- Papaya
- Guava
- Passionfruit
- Figs
- Dates
- Tarragon
- Dill
- Oregano
- Parsley
- Garlic (!)
- Saffron
- Juniper Berries
- Star Anise
Happy Hydrating!
-Heather
