Which drink is best at quenching your thirst? A comparison of the best thirst-quenchers

The best thirst-quencher – does such a thing exist? After a workout, on a hot day or simply as a snack between meals: which drink is the right choice? The experts’ answer is unspectacular – water. A more interesting question is how spritzers, tea, coffee, isotonic drinks, fizz, lemonade and beer fare in comparison, and how much sugar is contained in typical ‘thirst-quenchers’. Here you can read what the authorities and consumer advice organisations recommend, when a sports drink might be a good idea, and what difference temperature and carbonation make.

What thirst actually is

When the body is short of water, the brain is the first to react: dehydration stimulates the thirst centre, and the sensation of thirst prompts you to drink more. As a general rule, you can trust your sense of thirst. However, there are two caveats:

• Thirst comes late: you only start to feel thirsty once you have already lost a lot of fluid. In hot weather, the Federal Institute for Public Health (BIÖG) therefore recommends taking preventative measures and drinking a glass of water every hour, even if you are not thirsty.
• Not everyone experiences it in the same way: some people hardly ever feel thirsty and therefore do not drink enough. Older adults experience thirst less frequently and to a lesser degree than younger people.

The article ‘Not drinking enough: symptoms and what helps’ explains the signs that indicate you are not drinking enough.

Water: the best thirst-quencher

The German Nutrition Society (DGE) recommends drinking around 1.5 litres a day, ideally water or other non-calorific drinks such as unsweetened tea. The Consumer Advice Centre recommends tap water, mineral water and unsweetened herbal and fruit teas, spread throughout the day. The Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) also considers water and unsweetened, non-alcoholic drinks to be the most suitable choices for everyday consumption.

You can drink tap water in Germany without any worries; the DGE describes tap water as a fresh, safe and readily available foodstuff. Whether you prefer still or sparkling water is mainly a matter of taste – the differences are explained in the section on still and sparkling water. The fluid intake calculator can help you estimate roughly how much you personally need.

Tea, coffee and fruit juice spritzer

• Unsweetened tea: Herbal and fruit teas with no sugar are among the recommended thirst-quenchers. In hot weather, lukewarm to cool teas with no added sugar – such as those with mint and lemon – are ideal.
• Coffee and black tea: these count towards your fluid intake; according to the Consumer Advice Centre, around three to four cups a day are fine. However, experts recommend not meeting your entire fluid requirement with caffeinated drinks. Many ready-to-drink coffee and tea drinks from the supermarket also contain a great deal of sugar.
• Fruit juice and water mix: Mixed in a ratio of 1 part juice to 3 parts water, it is considered a good thirst-quencher.

Sugar content of apple spritzer: Ready-made apple spritzer contains only about half as much sugar as apple juice or cola. In a test carried out by Stiftung Warentest, half a litre contained an average of 28 grams of sugar – meaning adults consume more than half the recommended maximum daily intake. The testers therefore advise mixing your own spritzer: one part juice to three parts water.

Sugar content: lemonade, iced tea and ‘thirst-quenchers’

Sugary drinks are not very effective at quenching thirst and, according to BIÖG, should be avoided. The DGE does not recommend sugar-sweetened drinks, and the IQWiG advises drinking fizzy drinks only in moderation, as they usually contain a lot of sugar. Undiluted juices, fizzy drinks and iced tea are hypertonic due to their high sugar content and are not suitable on their own for rehydration.

Surveys carried out by consumer organisations reveal how much sugar these products contain. The figures are taken from the manufacturers’ specifications at the time of the survey:

According to the Bavarian Consumer Advice Centre’s table, one sugar cube is equivalent to 3 grams. By way of comparison: free sugars should account for less than ten per cent of daily energy requirements; based on 2,000 kilocalories, that amounts to around 50 grams for adults. A single 50-gram sachet of ‘thirst-quencher’ already contains this amount. You can find out how to spot sugar on the label in the article ‘Are zero-calorie drinks unhealthy?’.

Zero, Light and Energy Drinks

No sugar does not automatically mean a good thirst-quencher: according to the Consumer Advice Centre, low-calorie soft drinks and energy drinks are not recommended as thirst-quenchers because they often contain sweeteners and flavourings. You should also avoid drinking diet and sports drinks in large quantities; they usually contain substances that can cause nervousness or diarrhoea. Our ingredients check explains what’s typically found in ‘zero’ fizzy drinks.

Beer, wine and cocktails: not thirst-quenchers

The Federal Centre for Health Education (now BIÖG) makes it clear: alcohol is not suitable as a thirst-quencher. Anyone who drinks alcohol in hot weather is doing exactly the wrong thing, as alcohol deprives the body of further water and minerals. Both alcoholic drinks and high temperatures cause the blood vessels to dilate, leading to a drop in blood pressure – which can result in circulatory problems or even loss of consciousness. The German Nutrition Society (DGE) also advises against consuming alcoholic drinks. According to BIÖG, you should avoid alcoholic drinks immediately after exercise.

One exception is non-alcoholic beer: the South Tyrol Consumers’ Advice Centre describes it as isotonic; when exercising, one should opt for varieties with low carbonation.

Isotonic drinks – even no sugar?

‘Isotonic’ means that the drink contains exactly the same number of particles – namely sugar and minerals – as there are in the blood. The term is not defined by law; mineral and sugar contents can therefore vary considerably. Anyone looking for isotonic drinks with no sugar should therefore check the list of ingredients and the nutritional information table.

Do you even need them? For shorter training sessions, water is often enough. For endurance sports lasting up to an hour, tap water is usually sufficient; you can replenish the minerals afterwards, for example by eating a piece of fruit. The South Tyrol Consumer Advice Centre only recommends isotonic drinks during prolonged exercise, in hot weather or when training at high intensity.

You can mix your own affordable sports drink: the Hessen Consumer Advice Centre recommends two parts sodium-rich mineral water (around 600 mg of sodium per litre) and one part juice. The sodium and glucose in juices improve fluid absorption. However, in the event of diarrhoea or vomiting, a sports drink is not a suitable substitute: it does not necessarily contain enough electrolytes; oral rehydration solutions are better suited for this purpose. You can read about what an electrolyte drink with no sugar should contain in ‘Electrolytes without sugar’.

Temperature and carbon dioxide

Cool, but not ice-cold: BIÖG advises taking care of your stomach and avoiding very cold drinks; if you suffer from heat exhaustion, you should drink water that is cool, but not ice-cold. During exercise, you should avoid ice-cold, high-sugar drinks. When doing sport, the South Tyrol Consumer Advice Centre considers room temperature to be ideal, as drinks that are too cold put a strain on the stomach.

With or without fizz: some of the carbon dioxide escapes through burping and flatulence. If you have a sensitive stomach, still water or water with very little carbonation is the better choice, as it is if you are prone to heartburn. To find out whether sparkling water seems to quench your thirst better and what studies say on the matter, see ‘Still or sparkling water’.

Thirst in hot weather and during exercise

The guideline of 1.5 litres may increase three- to four-fold on hot days, during exercise or when carrying out heavy physical work. In hot weather, the BIÖG recommends drinking around two to three litres spread throughout the day. Anyone with heart or kidney conditions should consult their doctor about their fluid intake.

• Spread your fluid intake out: it’s better to drink regularly than to drink a lot at once – about one glass every two hours, or every hour in hot weather.
• During longer training sessions: drink regularly, before you feel thirsty.
• After exercise: Mineral water is just as suitable as diluted fruit or vegetable juices.
• Eating foods with a high water content: Fruit, such as chilled watermelon, can also be refreshing.

The ‘Drinking Water’ page brings together further tips on drinking as part of your daily routine.

Conclusion: What’s the best way to quench your thirst?

When it comes to everyday life, the DGE, IQWiG and the Consumer Advice Centre are in agreement: water and unsweetened tea are the best choices, whilst juice spritzers in a 1:3 ratio offer a nice change. Fizzy drinks, iced tea and ready-made spritzers are high in sugar, whilst alcohol actually dehydrates the body. Sports drinks are most beneficial during long, intense periods of exercise or in hot weather. If you find plain water too boring, you’ll find some ideas in ‘How to make your own flavoured water’.

Our Still and Sparkling are labelled as table water and come in 0.33-litre cans.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources

1. German Nutrition Society (DGE): Eating and drinking well – the DGE’s recommendations, accessed 9 November 2026. dge.de
2. Consumer Advice Centre: How much should you drink each day?, as at 09/03/26. verbraucherzentrale.de
3. Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG), gesundheitsinformation.de: Drinking enough in everyday life: tips and advice, 18 October 2023. gesundheitsinformation.de
4. MSD Manual, Patient Edition: Dehydration, last updated January 2025. msdmanuals.com
5. Federal Institute for Public Health (BIÖG), Climate – People – Health portal: Recommendations for hot weather, accessed 9 November 2026. klima-mensch-gesundheit.de
6. Federal Centre for Health Education (BZgA, now BIÖG): Caution in hot weather: alcohol is not suitable as a thirst-quencher (press release), 19 July 2022. bioeg.de
7. Hessen Consumer Advice Centre: Specialised sports drinks are unnecessary, as at 27 April 2022. verbraucherzentrale-hessen.de
8. South Tyrol Consumer Advice Centre: What exactly are isotonic drinks?, 1 October 2018. consumer.bz.it
9. Consumer Advice Centre (text from the North Rhine-Westphalia Consumer Advice Centre): Too much sugar in soft drinks, as at 30 July 2026. verbraucherzentrale.de
10. Bavarian Consumer Advice Centre: This is how much sugar is in it! (Table), as at September 2023. verbraucherzentrale.bayern
11. Stiftung Warentest, test.de: Apple spritzer put to the test, 22 April 2019. test.de
12. Hesse Ministry, Consumer Information Centre Hesse: Which is better: sparkling water or still water?, as at June 2026. verbraucherfenster.hessen.de
13. ACQUA REAPER: Product labels – Still and Sparkling, 26/08.
14. ACQUA REAPER: Product specifications, 14 September 26.