Open tabs💧HYDRATION EDITION💧: Banana H2O, drinkable IV fluid, & Erewhon's priciest potable yet
Plus: A hot new way to liquify peak summer tomatoes.
Anyone else super-attached to their emotional support drink vessel lately? It can’t just be us, so welcome to 💧 HYDRATION WEEK 💧!
If there’s one thing we learned during the FIFA 2026 World Cup, it’s that all 104 matches’ three-minute "hydration breaks" midway through each half were great for everything from advertising to dating to…you know, fending off heat-related illness.
And speaking of worlds and cups, the global electrolyte drinks market alone is valued around $43 billion, and projected to reach $82 billion by 2034. So let’s raise a glass, can, pouch, packet, or your preferred delivery method to hydration breaks of all kinds.
This summer, we all scream for electrolytes. And who’s cleaning up? Brands selling everything from drinkable IV fluid (“um?” or “yum?”) to our new seltzer: sparkling coconut water.
And if you think coconut water is played out — Erewhon says no it’s not and also give us a dollar an ounce (coco-WHAT?)
As an alternative, why not peel open a can of potassium-rich water extracted from heirloom Thai bananas?
Algae Cooking Club launched a drizzling oil by @MadeByMusashi that’s packed with the essence of charred peak-season tomatoes. Bonus, their signature cooking oil has a higher smoke point than the pavement outside.
Consumer and social expert Kendall Dickieson dumps a much-needed bucket of ice water over every brand that slapped their logo on that Empire State Building engagement photo.
French dairy behemoth Danone is guzzling down shake and smoothie brand acquisitions to the tune of $2.7 billion since April. First was UK-based Huel, the DTC-first meal replacement brand. Next came Australian favorite Rokeby Farms Protein Smoothies. Should Chobani be worried?
Calling all DTC lovers: come join us at the Endless Commerce x Philly DTC Happy Hour next Wednesday, July 22nd. 🎉
We’re throwing a friendly community shindig for e-commerce founders, operators, and partners in the Philadelphia area. No pitches or agendas, just good convos, drinks, and light bites.
Sign up here — and see you there!
Matt Cohen left a decade in finance to co-found pantry staples brand SIMPLi with his wife Sarela Herrada, and if that sounds like a wild pivot, it was. They started with 80 farmers in Peru and have since scaled to 75 products across 13 countries, 2,500+ retail doors including Whole Foods, Sprouts, and Wegmans, and a foodservice business supplying sweetgreen, Daily Harvest, and Splendid Spoon.
Oh, and he won a a NOSH Changemaker of the Year award and a Conservation International investment along the way. Not bad for a guy who used to do derivatives valuations.
Whether you're building a sourcing-first food brand, navigating international supply chain complexity, or figuring out how to make mission and margin work together at retail scale, this conversation is a ground-level look at what it takes to get quinoa from ground to grocer.
