By July, the only thing anyone wants to talk about is how to stay cool. Every summer it’s the same craving: something cold in your hand, ice clinking, condensation running down the side of a cup. That pull toward relief is older than any of us.
Lately the internet has turned that craving into its own little world. Stanley cups, gallon water jugs with motivational phrases printed down the side, and glass water bottles that sell out within minutes of restocking. There’s a whole genre of content now built around watching someone drink water. People call it watertok.
It’s easy to think it’s all a bit silly. Then I noticed what’s actually happening underneath. These are daily rituals posted online. People found something cold to reach for, every single day, on purpose, and decided it was worth sharing.
So here’s a tour through the internet’s cold drink obsession this summer, and what I think it’s actually telling us.
Water, but make it a ritual
Joseph Anthonii posts a new “water of the day” pretty much every single day. Perfect little ice cubes and water flavor packets. The same simple format, day after day. Big bold flavors and fun colors. Joslyn Kramer does something similar with a big glass jug and muddled fruit, built around what she calls “soft rituals.”
Neither of them is selling sobriety. They’re proving something useful: a daily practice doesn’t need a dramatic reason behind it to count. It just needs to happen on repeat.
The mocktail that requires zero effort
Somewhere in the last year, people figured out you don’t need a home bar to make a good non-alcoholic drink. Olivia Noceda has built a whole following around exactly this: a clean deli container, some juice, some fruit, and ice. No shaker, no jigger, no fuss. Shake it right in the container you’re going to drink out of.
This is the part of the trend I love most, because it lowers the bar so far that anyone can clear it. You don’t need to be a mixologist to build a small moment of “I made myself something nice.” You need a container you were probably going to throw away anyway.
Coffee already knew this
Iced coffee has run this exact play for years and nobody questioned it. The same order, the same cup, the same time every morning. This summer it’s the dot cake latte everywhere: vanilla cake flavor turned into a drink, cake batter foam on top, sprinkles, the whole thing. It looks a little over the top, and also genuinely delicious, and it’s exactly the kind of small daily event coffee culture has had figured out for decades. Caffeinatedriya is one of the smaller accounts riding this wave, posting her way through one iced latte after another.
Coffee never had to defend the ritual of the same drink, every day, on purpose. It just got to have one. That’s worth noticing.
And then there are the people doing the actual bar work
A few creators are doing this with real craft. Natalie Battaglia, who posts as the mindful mocktail, has built a following well into the hundreds of thousands around the idea that a drink can taste good without the hangover attached. Deb Podlogar, known as Mocktail Mom, turned hers into an actual book and something she calls the Mocktail Social Club. Christine Wayne‘s whole account is built around keeping the craft of a real cocktail and simply removing the alcohol from it.
These aren’t sad substitutes. They’re people putting the same care into a drink that a good bartender puts into one with liquor in it, minus the part that used to take something from them the next morning.
Calling it a cult, on purpose
Cult sounds like an insult until you look at what it actually means: devotion to a practice. That’s what all of this really is. Water, mocktails, iced coffee, the elaborate non-alcoholic drink builds. People found a daily ritual that doesn’t cost them anything the next morning, and they made it pretty enough to want to share.
You don’t need a flavor packet account or a deli container of your own to take something from this. You just need one cold drink you make for yourself, on purpose, the same way, often enough that it becomes yours. Pick one this summer. Let it be small and sincere and entirely yours. That’s the whole trend, and it’s a good one to join.
#ADDTOCART: Sober People Still Carry a Drink Everywhere. WanderFull Just Made It Chic.
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What is Watertok?
Watertok is a social media trend built around flavored water, ice, reusable cups, water jugs, and daily hydration rituals. Creators often share their “water of the day” using flavor packets, fruit, ice, or colorful drink combinations.
Why are cold drink rituals so popular?
Cold drink rituals are popular because they offer a small, repeatable moment of comfort and relief. Whether it is flavored water, an iced latte, or a non-alcoholic mocktail, the ritual gives people something refreshing to look forward to without requiring a big occasion.
How do mocktails fit into the cold drink trend?
Mocktails fit perfectly into the cold drink trend because they turn an ordinary drink into a small act of care. Creators are showing that a good non-alcoholic drink does not need a full bar setup. Juice, fruit, ice, and a simple container can be enough to make something feel special.
Why does Anne Marie Cribbin call it “the cult of the cold drink”?
The phrase “cult of the cold drink” is used playfully. In the article, “cult” points to devotion to a practice: the daily act of making and enjoying a cold drink on purpose. It is less about obsession and more about ritual.
Are cold drink rituals sober-friendly?
Yes. Cold drink rituals are very sober-friendly because they give people something enjoyable, flavorful, and visually fun to reach for without alcohol. Water, mocktails, iced coffee, and non-alcoholic drink builds can all create a sense of occasion without the hangover.
Do you need special ingredients to make a good non-alcoholic drink?
No. One of the best parts of the trend is how accessible it is. You do not need to be a mixologist or buy expensive bar tools. A simple drink with ice, fruit, juice, sparkling water, tea, coffee, herbs, or flavored water can become a ritual if you make it your own.
Who are some creators mentioned in the article?
The article mentions creators including Joseph Anthonii, Joslyn Kramer, Olivia Noceda, Caffeinatedriya, Natalie Battaglia of The Mindful Mocktail, Deb Podlogar known as Mocktail Mom, and Christine Wayne, all of whom contribute to the larger online cold drink and non-alcoholic beverage culture.
