Can Canadians get the world drinking tree sap?

Canadian producers are hoping that sap beverages will become the next global craze, even though drinking sap directly might not sound that appealing at first.

People are familiar with maple syrup, a thick, sweet, golden-brown syrup made by boiling maple sap, often drizzled over pancakes. However, less well-known is that maple sap itself can be consumed, and is known as maple water. Maple water is clear in color and contains only 2% natural sugars, giving it a subtle sweetness.

Currently, a small but growing number of Canadian producers are selling this maple water, which they filter and pasteurize to kill any microorganisms before bottling or boxing it for sale. "People feel like they are tasting the original Canadian forest," says Yannick Leclerc of Maple3, a maple water beverage producer in Quebec City.

Supporters believe that maple water is a natural drink, and producers hope it can grab market share from existing similar products – coconut water. Coconut water is the water that naturally forms inside coconuts.

Canada is the world's largest producer of maple syrup, accounting for over 80% of global production, so it's understandable that the emerging maple water industry is also concentrated in Canada. Furthermore, the industry is mainly concentrated in Quebec, which accounts for 90% of Canada's maple syrup production.

Mr. Leclerc says that Maple3 was one of the pioneers in the industry. "Before, no one thought of keeping the sap for hydration, rather than just boiling it into syrup." He co-founded the company in 2013 with business partner Stéphane Nolet. In recent years, an increasing number of other producers have entered the market.

Mr. Leclerc claims that Maple3's annual profits have doubled since 2021, with sales growing not only across Canada, but also in 12 other countries, including France, Japan, Singapore and South Korea. Currently, about 75% of the company's sales come from overseas, with products including still and sparkling maple water, as well as sodas with added natural fruit flavors.

"Now it's more than just a local product," Mr. Leclerc added.

For the maple water industry as a whole, a recent report predicted significant growth. The report estimates that global sales will total $506 million (£409 million) in 2024, and are projected to jump to $2.6 billion by 2033. In comparison, global coconut water sales reached $7.7 billion in 2023, and are projected to grow to $22.9 billion by 2029. Therefore, maple water still has a long way to go.

Meanwhile, a study showed that the global maple syrup market was worth $1.7 billion last year.

Beth Czerwony, a nutritionist at the Cleveland Clinic, a non-profit medical center in Ohio, says that the increasing popularity of maple water is related to its perceived health benefits. "When the sap is filtered through the trees, it ends up absorbing a lot of antioxidants," she said. "Therefore, they end up performing better and recovering faster after exercise."

However, a 2019 medical study concluded that maple water is "no better" than regular water for hydration.

Jeremy Kinsella is the owner of The Soda Pop Bros in Windsor, Ontario, which sells soft drinks under its own brand and imports soft drinks from around the world. His family has been in the industry for nearly a century, and he has witnessed the rise and fall of many trends in his lifetime.

He says that if maple water is to become mainstream, it needs the financial backing and promotion of large global soft drink companies. "To really take off, it needs a bigger soda manufacturer," he said.

Mr. Kinsella also said that the current price of maple water is too high. "At the end of the day, if someone sees a can of Coke for $1 and a can of maple water for $3, they might try it a few times and then go back to Coke," he said.

John Tomory, head of Pefferlaw Creek Farms in Uxbridge, Ontario, says that marketing maple water more would definitely help boost sales. He and his brothers have been commercially producing maple syrup for nearly 10 years, and for the past four years, they have also been selling sap to a Canadian brand called Sap Sucker. The company uses the sap to make sparkling sodas, adding different flavors, from lime to grapefruit, and from lemon to orange.

Mr. Tomory says he agrees with this approach of making sap more interesting. "I know a lot of people tried to sell sap straight, just basic sap from the trees, and it's not carbonated, and they didn't really take off," he said. "So I think carbonating it and adding fruit flavors makes it more interesting. That's the real innovation."

Back at Maple3 in Quebec, Mr. Leclerc also believes that sparkling versions of the drink may be more popular: "It has the advantage of what a regular soda doesn't have," he says, such as a more interesting flavor, "without all the bad things of [regular] soda."