Can Canadians get the world drinking tree sap?

In Canada, a company named Maple3 is working hard to make a new drink from tree sap popular all over the world. This drink is known as maple water. While many people are familiar with maple syrup, which is a sweet syrup made by boiling the sap from maple trees, not everyone knows that you can actually drink the sap itself. Maple water is clear and has only a slight sweetness because it contains just 2% natural sugars. Recently, a small but growing number of Canadian producers have started selling this maple water in bottles or cartons after filtering and pasteurizing it to ensure it is safe for consumption. Yannick Leclerc, a representative from Maple3, explains that drinking maple water gives people a taste of the wild Canadian forest. Many advocates believe it is a natural beverage, and the company hopes it can compete with coconut water, which is another popular drink made from the water found inside coconuts. Canada is the largest producer of maple syrup globally, accounting for over 80% of the total production. Therefore, it is not surprising that the emerging maple water industry is also based in Canada, particularly in Quebec, which produces 90% of the country's maple syrup. Mr. Leclerc, who co-founded Maple3 with his business partner Stéphane Nolet in 2013, claims that they are pioneers in this sector. He notes that before their efforts, no one had considered keeping the sap for hydration purposes instead of just boiling it down into syrup. In recent years, more producers have entered the market, and Mr. Leclerc proudly states that Maple3 has doubled its annual profits since 2021. Their sales have not only increased across Canada but also in 12 other countries, including France, Japan, Singapore, and South Korea. Currently, 75% of their sales come from international markets, and they offer both still and sparkling maple water, as well as fizzy versions with added natural fruit flavors. Mr. Leclerc emphasizes that maple water has evolved into more than just a local product. To extract the sap from maple trees, workers drill holes into the trees and attach pipes to collect the sap. A recent report predicts significant growth for the maple water industry, estimating that global sales will reach $2. 6 billion by 2033. In comparison, coconut water sales are expected to grow to $22. 9 billion by 2029, indicating that maple water has a long way to go to catch up. The global value of the maple syrup market is also substantial. According to Beth Czerwony, a dietitian at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, the rising popularity of maple water is linked to its perceived health benefits. She explains that when the sap is filtered through the tree, it absorbs various antioxidants, which can enhance athletic performance and aid in quicker recovery after workouts. However, a medical study conducted in 2019 concluded that maple water is not significantly different from regular water. Jeremy Kinsella, the owner of The Soda Pop Bros in Windsor, Ontario, sells soft drinks under his own brand and imports beverages from around the world. His family has been in the beverage industry for nearly a century, and he has witnessed many trends come and go. He believes that for maple water to gain mainstream popularity, it will require the financial support and marketing power of a large global soft drink company. He also points out that the current price of maple water is too high. He states, 'When it comes down to it, if someone is looking at a can of Coke for a dollar and a can of maple water for three dollars, they are likely to try the maple water a couple of times but will eventually return to Coke. ' It is difficult to envision maple water ever surpassing the popularity of maple syrup. John Tomory, who helps run Pefferlaw Creek Farms in Uxbridge, Ontario, believes that better marketing of maple water could certainly help increase its sales. He and his brothers have been producing maple syrup commercially for almost ten years, and for the past four years, they have also been selling sap to a Canadian brand called Sap Sucker. This brand creates sparkling sap water with various added flavors, including lime, grapefruit, lemon, and orange. Mr. Tomory agrees that making the sap more interesting is essential for its success. He states, 'I know a lot of people have tried just selling the sap as it is, but they haven't really caught on. So I think carbonating it and adding fruit flavors makes it more appealing. That's the real innovation. ' Back at Maple3 in Quebec, Mr. Leclerc also believes that the sparkling version of the drink could be more popular. He explains, 'It has perks that regular sparkling water doesn't have,' such as a more interesting flavor without the unhealthy ingredients found in traditional sodas.