For real refreshment . . .

We all know we should drink more water and less soda, but what keeps us coming back for that nearly-impossible-to-replicate refreshment that sugary (and even diet) sodas offer? You might think it’s the sweetness, but it’s not.?

It’s the acid, man.

Mildly acidic liquids are refreshing. That’s why an aperitif is usually bitter or sour: to refresh your mouth and “wake your taste buds up.” It’s why multi-course meals often include a fruit ice half way through, flooding the areas of your tongue that register sour, and leaving your sweet- and salt-tasting areas ready for something else. It’s also why you put an olive (or a twist, or a cocktail onion) in your martini; the salt and sour of the garnish give the drink its snap.

So if you’re looking to drink more water and still get that lovely refreshed feeling that sodas, juices, and teas bring, drop some acid (in your water, that is). A squeeze of lemon or lime makes all the difference!