{Product Review} Zola Coconut Water and Acai Juice

Prior to the last couple of years, I procured coconut water in one of two ways: 1) going to the Asian market and buying a fresh young coconut, taking it home and using a variety of household implements to get it open or 2) wandering around the market stalls and beaches of the Caribbean and Asia, finding and purchasing a young coconut from a vendor, who promptly whacks the top off with his machete. Both experiences resulted in me having a refreshing beverage to cool down with.

Now, coconut water is sold in cans and cartons at my local grocery store. My how times change! While not as fresh as my examples above, they provide a convenient way to enjoy coconut water at anytime.

Zola recently sent me a box of three of their products to try out.

I received a can each of Coconut Water and Coconut Water with Pulp and a bottle of Acai Juice, plus a pair of bright green Zola sunglasses! I placed them all, well not the sunglasses, in the refrigerator so that they would be chilled for consumption.

I tried the coconut water without pulp first because that is what I would normally drink. I had it after a weeknight run and found it to be oh so refreshing. I also really liked the taste of Zola. Some of the pre-packaged coconut waters I have purchased in the past have had an unappealing grittiness to them. Zola wasn't like this at all. In fact, it tasted clean and subtle. Perfect for post-workout rehydration because coconut water contains essential electrolytes like potassium, sodium, calcium and magnesium. Zola's coconut water also does not contain added sugars that you might find in other flavored coconut waters.

A few days later, I had the coconut water with pulp after another workout. This one I wasn't sold on, mostly because I don't have any straws at home and think that the majority of the pulp remained at the bottom of the can. Although I enjoyed the same great taste as the coconut water without pulp, having the extra pulp was lost on me because I couldn't get to it.

Finally, the acai juice was opened but not finished. I have tried acai products a number of times now and, quite frankly, am not a fan of the taste. To me, the juice is too thick and the taste is pretty chalky. It is too bad because acai berries have so many health benefits. I wish I could be a fan, but I'm not.

What's my take? When fresh young coconut is not within arm's reach, I would happily enjoy Zola's coconut water (without the pulp) after my workouts or runs or even as a beverage with a meal.

Disclosure: Due to my affiliation with Fit Approach, I received these products from Zola for the purpose of this review. All opinions are my own. Read my full disclosure here.