i don't like the taste of straight water

I do drink water, but in order for me to get past the taste, I have to "put my mind aside" for a moment, then chug it. The only time I don't have to do that is on really hot days where getting water in my system is more important than the taste of it.

The rest of the time, I've had to come up with inventive ways to add flavor. This is what I've tried:

Water flavoring

There are many flavors of this, and they come in the form of powder or liquid. I suppose you could also count iced tea mix in with this since it does the same job.

I was using this for a while but then stopped because I tired of the taste, regardless of flavor I tried.

Apple Cider Vinegar

The supposed be-all/end-all of "best" apple cider vinegar is Bragg Organic, which is unfiltered. I've tried both filtered and unfiltered. Yes, I can taste slightly more out of Bragg unfiltered compared to the filtered stuff.

The way this works is to fill a tall sports water bottle, then add in 1 teaspoon (about half a capful) of ACV, close the bottle and shake to mix.

What ACV does is add a slightly bitter taste to the water. You'd think this would taste terrible, but it actually doesn't.

The bad part about ACV is that even in tiny amounts, it can make gums and teeth hurt. My teeth complained a little, but just a little. It was enough to make me stop using it, because I take no chances where my teeth are concerned.

Lemon Juice

The funny thing about lemon juice is you'd think this could be easily found in any grocery store. Not really. Yes, the grocery store will have this, but don't be surprised if you have to ask somebody who works there where it is. And when you do finally find it, there will be just one choice and that's it. You may have to order organic lemon juice.

I don't use this because I'm not a fan of lemon water; the taste does nothing for me.

Salt

This is what actually works for me when I want to add flavor to water.

Sure, you could use fancy pink salt if you wanted to (and you might, because it's easily available in bigger chunks for easier flavoring of water), but I just use white.

What I like about flavoring water this way is that I can have it hot or cold. I can put water in a bottle, add salt, shake to mix, and drink it that way. Or, I can put hot water in a coffee mug, put in a few pinches of salt and mix with a spoon.

The nice part is that I have no negative reactions to slightly salted water. The flavor is acceptable and it's easy to drink.

Other drinks are typically salted

Powerade Zero? Has salt. Dasani water? Read the label. Dasani contains a very tiny amount of salt, but it's in there. If you prefer Dasani over other water brands and think it tastes different, that's not your imagination, because it does, and salt is part of that. A can of Coke? Yep, salted (labeled as sodium).

It could very well be, and probably is, that the reason I take to salt so well is because so many other drinks I've had over the years have been salted too.

Published 2025 Jan 14