The 3 Best Types of Drinks for Boating

Nothing beats the heat on a hot summer day like relaxing on a boat. Whether you are hanging out with friends and family, trying to catch a good tan or just taking in the breeze, everybody loves going out on a boat. For your day on the water, it’s important to stay hydrated with ice-cold beverages to quickly quench even the mightiest thirst. Read on to learn about the best drinks to ensure your boating experience is fun-filled and dehydration-free.

Water & Sports Drinks

For a quick cool-down, keep plenty of bottled water and electrolyte-replenishing sports drinks on hand. In order to avoid dehydration, it would be wise to drink an abundance of these drinks. Iced tea is another good choice, as it is both refreshing and water-based. Just be sure to stay away from drinking large quantities of high-citrus and sugary drinks, such as lemonade or soda, because they have a diuretic effect on the body. It’s important to keep you hydrated, and these sodas will do the exact opposite.

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Beer & Wine

What is a day on a boat without an ice cold beer? Not only is it a tasty and refreshing beverage, beer is easy to find, easy to carry and goes down smoothly on a hot day. Compared to other alcoholic drinks, beer is also going to be your cheapest option. Cans of beer are probably going to be the easiest option, but you could always bring bottles or a mini kegerator on board.

If you love wine, however, all hope is not lost. The French even have a name for wines that are good on a hot day: vin de soif, which literally means “thirst-quenching wines.” Your best bets are light whites and pinks. If you prefer mixed drinks or cocktails, easy-to-make sangria begins with a wine base combined with ginger ale or soda water, fruits and sugar. Mix up a pitcher of sangria, and serve over ice.

Blended Drinks

Blended tropical drinks, such as margaritas and blue Hawaiians, are perfect boat companions. In fact, these drinks are often referred to as “boat drinks,” from the classic song “Boat Drinks” by Jimmy Buffett. If this is the route you want to take, we would recommend mixing the drinks in pitchers in advance and store the pitchers in a portable travel cooler until you’re ready to serve.

To make sure that your drinks are always ice cold, invest in a portable ice maker. Affordable, portable ice makers come in electric, battery-operated and hand-cranked versions. With a portable ice maker, your cooler never runs out of ice and your hand is never without an ice-cold boat drink.

When it comes to portable ice makers, there are plenty of brands for you to choose from, but for the best quality, we would recommend going with either Koldfront or Edgestar.

To ensure true boating nirvana, make sure to keep lots of extras of whatever you are drinking on board. As new cans or bottles are opened, replenish your cooler so you always have cold drinks available. Keep in mind, alcoholic drinks will dehydrate you, so make sure you and your guests alternate alcoholic beverages with water and other hydrating drinks. Whatever you decide to drink, just remember to be safe and drink plenty of water while you’re out on a boat.