Homemade Sports and Energy Drinks
Corporate-ade companies definitely don't want you to know how easy this is
Sports drinks are garbage. Energy drinks are garbage with caffeine. Given that their purported purpose is to replenish and revive our bodies, it’s sadly ironic that they’re so barren: synthesized flavor molecules and isolated extracts with none of the complexity of the plants they originated in. I know there are some higher-quality versions available at fancy stores, but the per-can price is ludicrous.
Fermentation to the rescue! Even a beginner microbe rancher can make everything needed to keep a permanent supply of actually healthy, genuinely delicious drinks on hand for rehydration and refreshment—for pennies a glass. I’ve been doing some hard physical work outside in the heat, lugging stones around and pickaxing select areas of yard to create an area for cooking and lounging. Versions of these drinks are quite literally saving my life every day, but I’m also kind of addicted and drink them even when I’m not a sweaty wreck.
From both a fermentation and prep/assembly perspective these drinks are among the easiest things you’ll ever make. You may already have everything you need in your kitchen right now, and you don’t need any specialized gear at all. You can also dial in your ratios so that you’re favoring real hot-weather athletic performance or just flavor and pleasure. There’s a ton of flexibility. Stop paying too much for empty, unhealthy corporate slop!
Here’s the list of everything you need to customize your own blend, with links to all the relevant recipes:
