This Is The Most Beautiful Drink I've Ever Seen

This is Pocari Sweat. I'm in love with it.

by Taylor Sweet 스위트

Pocari Sweat is a drink that originates from Japan, but has since been introduced to countries all across East Asia and Southeast Asia, and even the Middle East. It's officially regarded as an "ion supply drink," essentially meaning that it's a sports drink similar to Gatorade or even Vitamin Water. The "Sweat" part of the title -- which might make some consumers uncomfortable at the thought of consuming salty bodily fluids -- is actually referring to the drink's ability to supply the body with ions that are lost from sweating. The drink itself is actually not salty at all (don't worry!) and is lightly sweet and refreshing -- even more so when refrigerated before drinking.

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And since I'm explaining titles here, the first part of the name, "POCARI," doesn't actually have any meaning! The creators of the drink just chose the word  because it "conveys a light and bright feeling." I feel like that would be me as a business owner, just naming things based off of words that I thought sounded nice -- at the thought of that concept, I like the drink even more now. But enough of the history lesson, let's get to the real reason why I love this drink. IT'S SO PRETTY. Not only did the designers do an amazing job of conveying hydration/freshness, but the design is just really clean and modern and timeless and... I'll just insert some pictures so you can see what I'm talking about. The resurgence of '80s fashion -- the bright colors, the baggy clothes, and the "mom" look -- might have something to do with why I'm in love with the way this drink looks so much. Pocari Sweat was created in 1980, yet the design is so on point today with its minimal, clean, and preppy look. However, some of its elements can be interpreted today to fit in with the aesthetics of the times (the royal blue and white color combination, the simplicity and directness of the logo and typography, the one simple wave). It's so hip that even street wear has been made in its image! The brand Won Tyme created the Pocari Sweater, which is both clever and cringe-worthy. This word play and ironic use of commercial product is very representative of the times, but it also helps that the Pocari logo is very nice in the first place. This sweater wouldn't have had the same urban trendiness to it if it had a Mountain Dew or a Sprite logo plastered onto the front. 

See? It just... doesn't work. When I got a can to try out for myself here at the SnackFever office, a part of me didn't want to open it because it was so pretty. But my curiosity got the best of me and I, too, wondered at first if this drink really tasted like sweat. To my surprise, it was actually nicely sweet (not too sweet) and had a hint of orange flavor in it. It was very refreshing -- I could see why people would reach for this after playing sports or after a workout. Luckily, there was an extra one for me to take home and put on my desk as a decoration. HAHA. I'm not joking... but as many times as I tried uploading the photo, it kept failing. I guess that's the universe telling me not to embarrass myself, but trust me on this one -- it's sitting right on top of my desk! If you want to try this drink out for yourself, luckily it's in one of SnackFever's upcoming boxes. So you might want to subscribe :) Good job, Pocari Sweat.