Last modified on February 15th, 2023
Liquid Death is a brand of water with great marketing and financial backers, but we wanted to determine if it lives up to the hype. Below, we’ll go into everything you should know about Liquid Death water before you try it or buy it.
Pros and Cons of Liquid Death
Some of the pros of this innovative water include:
- Contains naturally occurring minerals, which you need for health and wellness
- Bottled at the source
- Comes from an underground natural water source in the Austrian Alps
- Naturally alkaline
- Thirst-quenching according to customer reviews
- Great marketing and creative packaging makes it fun
- Uses a more environmentally and less toxic can container instead of plastic
- When you purchase, the company gives back
The cons of this water include:
- The canned water is slightly more expensive than some other options
- Some people don’t like the taste
What Makes Liquid Death Special?
You might be wondering how any kind of water could be that special or unique, especially considering Liquid Death is more expensive than some other brands. We were wondering the same thing, so we did some research to figure it out and determine if it’s fancy water or something else going on here.
Liquid Death comes from an underground mountain source, protected by hundreds of feet of stone. Being mountain water does set it apart from other types of bottled water, which are just tap water that’s been processed.
When the company sources the water, it goes into their bottler and then straight into air-tight cans. Before it’s canned, the water is purified using a process that helps maintain the original mineral profile.
Here’s where it’s especially unique for this canned mountain water startup—these naturally occurring minerals are electrolytes. They fuel your body and quench your thirst.
The spring water source is in the Austrian Alps.
We looked at independent testing of the water not done by the manufacturer, finding it is not only high in minerals but also alkaline. In that same test, however, the sparkling water from the brand while high in minerals was found to be acidic.
There’s a lot of competition on the ever-expanding consumer water market, but Liquid Death does stand out.
Mineral Water Benefits
To understand why Liquid Death might actually be worth the hype, we look at the health benefits of mineral water. Mineral water is not the same as regular drinking water. This type of water comes from underground reservoirs, and it doesn’t go through chemical processing.
Some of the critical minerals in spring water from underground include calcium, sodium and magnesium. For a product to meet the requirements of mineral water, it has to be bottled at the source.
Tap Water vs. Mineral Water
Most of us don’t spend time thinking about our water, so we might not naturally consider whether tap water or mineral water is better for us.
What you might be surprised to find out is the FDA regulates bottled water. Mineral water has to contain at least 250 parts per million or PPM of total dissolved solids, according to the FDA’s regulatory guidelines. These total dissolved solids have to come from a physical and geologically protected underground water source.
In simpler terms, what does that mean?
To advertise a product as mineral water, that has to be how it comes from the earth. These types of water are good for your health because it provides you with minerals your body can’t make on its own.
The minerals in these waters are highly bioavailable, meaning it’s an optimal way for our bodies to absorb and use the minerals.
If you’re just drinking tap water, there are added minerals, but drinking water can have contaminants from leaking and rusted pipes and other pollutants. Mineral water also has a higher mineral content than tap water across the board.
Since mineral water is bottled at the source, it can be purer than tap water which has gone through chemical disinfection. That doesn’t mean mineral water doesn’t go through processing, to remove bacterial growth or toxic substances, but it’s not the harsh and potentially harmful process that tap water goes through.
Below, we go into some of the more specific benefits of mineral water, which the Liquid Death drink is.
- Magnesium: Mineral water is a good source of magnesium. Magnesium plays a role in nerve function, blood pressure, and blood glucose levels. Symptoms of magnesium deficiency can cause fatigue, loss of appetite and nausea. A severe deficiency can cause muscle cramps, numbness and tingling, and mood changes. Getting adequate amounts of magnesium may help you sleep more soundly, improve your mental health and reduce headaches and migraines.
- Blood circulation: Having mineral water can help maintain proper blood circulation because of the magnesium, potassium, and calcium.
- Strong bones: When you have mineral water, it contains calcium. Calcium promotes stronger bones.
- Digestive health: Because of the mineral content and magnesium, this type of water can help improve your digestive function and prevent constipation. Magnesium draws water into your intestines, improving the quality of your stool. Magnesium can also relax your intestinal muscles for more regular bowel movements.
Death to Plastic
One reason that we like Liquid Death Austrian water, in addition to the fact that it’s spring-sourced and high in minerals, is their deduction to reduce plastic usage, compared to bottled water brands.
According to research, an aluminum can on average contains more than 70% recycled material. The average plastic bottle is only 3%.
Aluminum can be recycled infinitely, while plastic can’t be, making it a more sustainable option. In reality, plastic isn’t considered a recyclable material anymore because it’s not profitable anymore. What ends up happening is that plastic goes to landfills because recycling facilities don’t want to try and deal with the time and expense of recycling plastic garbage.
With aluminum, more than 75% of what’s been produced since 1888 is still in use.
If we don’t cut down on our plastic production, the pollution will be heavier than fish pound for pound by 2050, according to the Liquid Death company.
Beyond the environmental impact, many plastic containers contain bisphenol A or BPA. BPA is a chemical that interferes with hormone function. Microplastics have been identified in water bottles as well.
If at all possible to avoid drinking water or having food from plastic and opt for a sustainable beverage container, it’s best.
Company Background
Liquid Death is a venture from Mike Cessario, Netflix Creative Director. Mike Cessario’s goal in the creation of this water company was to first take inspiration from punk rock and heavy metal, according to Business Insider. Second, according to interviews, he wanted to compete with the “cool factor” of brands that aren’t healthy but use flashy marketing to draw people in, such as energy drinks and beer.
The marketing and branding of the company are fantastic, funny, and quirky so it stands out in the health and wellness arena where brands are usually focused on being aspirational. This mountain water company breaks through bottled water marketing cliches.
The company got $2.3 million in funding from people like Michael Dubin of Dollar Shave Club.
The water comes in tallboys that will remind you of a beer can, and you’re instantly thinking about death metal with the artistry on those cans. There’s more to it than simply looking like beer, however. There’s a reason for the cans, which we go into more below.
One takeaway from the marketing of this mountain water is that everyone needs fresh, healthy water—even punks and rockers.
In a funny twist, the company’s branding recognizes that despite the eye-catching design on their cans of water, at the end of the day, what’s inside the can is just water. That self-awareness is one more thing to love about the branding. The company focuses on the idea that the approach they take to bottled water is “unnecessary,” but then points out that all the best things in life are.
The company makes a mockery of the health and wellness industry in a way, with sarcasm. It’s a bold choice for a water brand, and we like it. Sometimes we do buy because of genius marketing and branding.
None of this means there aren’t tangible benefits to the water, from the minerals, which we talk about above, the environmental considerations of using cans versus plastic water bottles.
The Liquid Death company gives back in quite a few ways as well, so why not buy from a water company that shares your values?
For example, every time you buy a can, they donate a portion of the profits to organizations fighting the issue of plastic throughout the world and delivering clean drinking water to the people who need it. Organizations Liquid Death donates to include:
- 5 Gyres: A nonprofit, this organization uses adventure, education, and science to inspire action against the worldwide plastic pollution crisis.
- Pangeaseed Foundation: The Pangeaseed Foundation helps with ocean stewardship.
- Thirst Project: The Thirst Project helps end the global water crisis by building fresh water wells in developing communities.
Liquid Death Reviews—What Do Customers Say?
Overall, customer reviews for this mountain water are primarily favorable. For example, we went over to Amazon and found that the average rating is a 4.6 out of 5, with thousands of reviews from around the world.
Some of the notable highlights from positive customer reviews include:
- Users say it’s excellent for quenching their thirst like other waters aren’t able to.
- Some customer reviewers say they appreciate that they don’t have to worry about BPA being in the can like they do when they have bottled water in plastic.
- Quite a few customers said they appreciate the reduced environmental impact this company focuses on.
Frequently Asked Questions
The following are some of the questions you might have about this water.
What is Liquid Death?
Despite the intense name, Liquid Death is just canned water that comes from a spring source and contains minerals.
Where Is Liquid Death From?
The water source is from underground in the Austrian Alps.
What Stores Sell Liquid Death Water?
Whole Foods sells this water, as do other major chain retailers. You can also buy it on Amazon for standard Prime delivery, or you can shop via Amazon at your local Whole Foods and get the water delivered to you within a couple of hours in most cases.
Final Thoughts
So, do we recommend Liquid Death? We do, for a few reasons. Primarily, we like that it contains minerals that serve as electrolytes to keep your body in balance. We also appreciate good marketing, which is important in the health world.
The third thing we like about this water is that the company emphasizes sustainability, reducing plastic waste and helping promote clean drinking water to communities in need worldwide.
We also want to note that marketing is important not just because it makes having a can of cold water more fun. It’s important because if you’re enjoying the death metal music theme of this water, you’re more likely to drink it. Drinking more water is something that could benefit most of us and help us be healthier and more energetic. Our feeling is that anything you can do to add more hydration to your life is valuable.
Ashley Sutphin Watkins
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