Infused Waters for Hydration
From The Kitchen · the easiest way to drink more
The easiest way to drink more water is to want to. A little fruit or a few herbs turns a plain glass into something you reach for all day — no sugar, no sweetener, just flavor drawn out slowly into filtered water. Keep a pitcher on the counter or in the fridge and sip your way through it. And a big glass dispenser of it is lovely for parties and get-togethers — festive, pretty, and something everyone can enjoy, no sugar required. I've gone to the same neighborhood spa for over thirty years, and there's always a big glass dispenser of infused water waiting — so pretty you can't walk past it. People gravitate to it like magnets. That's the whole idea.
The method
- Add fruit, herbs, or citrus to a pitcher of filtered water. Press or clap herbs between your palms first to wake up their oils.
- Chill at least 1–2 hours — or overnight — so the flavors bloom.
- Sip through the day, topping up the water once or twice before the fruit tires out.
Combinations to keep on rotation
Bright & citrus
- Lemon & raw honey — lovely warm first thing, or cold all day
- Lemon & ginger — a few slices of fresh ginger, a squeeze of lemon
- Orange & rosemary — a little unexpected, a little elegant
- Grapefruit & rosemary — bitter-bright and refreshing
Garden & herb
- Mint & lime — clean and cooling
- Cucumber & mint — the spa classic
- Cucumber, lemon & basil — garden-fresh
- Strawberry & basil — sweet and green
Fruit-forward
- Watermelon & mint — summer in a glass
- Blueberry & lemon — gentle and pretty
- Pineapple & mint — a little tropical
- Raspberry & lime — tart and rosy
- Apple & cinnamon stick — cozy, for cooler days
- Lemon & a pinch of sea salt — the simplest hydrator
Turn any of them into an electrolyte water
A pinch of good sea salt and a squeeze of citrus turns any of these into a gentle electrolyte water — kind on a hot day or after a workout, when plain water alone isn't quite enough. For a fuller version, see Gina's Natural Electrolyte Lemonade.
Keeps: about 2 days cold. Strain the fruit if it starts to soften. Citrus and cucumber can turn bitter if the peel sits too long — pull it after a day.
Hydration is one of the quietest forms of self-care there is. If a pitcher of something pretty on the counter is what gets you to drink it, that counts — every single time.
Here's to drinking more water, and enjoying it.
— Gina