June has seen the temperatures soaring and many of us enjoying a cooling drink to replenish lost fluids. Vita Coco Coconut Water With Pineapple is a beautiful drink made from natural coconut, it's a little bit unusual but very delicious, and becoming more widely available.

The company who make this product have a delightful history which dates back to 2003, when two childhood friends were chatting to some new acquaintances they had met from Brazil. When asked what drink they most missed from home it was coconut water. This seeded a business idea, and so a few months later one of the friends, Liran, went to Brazil. Here he began doing some market research to ascertain whether or not it could be possible to source the drink in large enough quantities to supply the American market. Kirban, the other friend began to develop the network he needed to have in place in New York to support the business.

Two years later in 2005 the drink became available in a selection of stores in the east coast of America, and since then it has become one of the fastest growing beverages in the US, now to be found in 10,000 US stores. Now available in the UK from several stores, including Holland and Barrett and Waitrose, this drink is, in my opinion, ideal for humid weather.

Coconut water is so rich in minerals, especially potassium. It actually contains more than 20 times the amount of the mineral than that found in the leading sports drink, and more than that found in 2 bananas. Potassium is lost in the aftermath of exercise and humid weather and so replacement is vital.

The drink is actually made with green coconut juice which is fat free, and the coconuts are harvested in Brazil when they are about 7 months old.

The range includes many flavours, and of course you can purchase plain, but the product I am reviewing in particular is the version which has added pineapple. This is, in my opinion, the best of their range as it is so delicious. It is made from coconut juice and pineapple puree, and it is 25 calories for 100mls. A 330ml carton retails for £1.49.

Sold in a long life tetra pack this is a convenient way to store the juice until you wish to use it. I usually pop mine in the fridge before use for an hour or so. The juice is lovely, it is a clearish liquid with a hint of pineapple, and it has a cooling taste, with no bitterness and just the right amount of sweetness. As a thirst quenching drink you can't beat this, as it is ideal especially for humid weather.

Once opened the drink only keeps for a couple of days if you purchase the litre size which is the coconut water plain variety, but a day only for the pineapple and other fruity variants, which are in the smaller 300ml size where I shop in Waitrose.

When I am out shopping in hot weather I will often pop into the health food store to purchase the pineapple drink. I have ME and suffer from a condition called orthostatic intolerance, which basically means I have difficulty standing especially in hot weather. If I load up on fluids and salt I can usually manage ok, but I can get very dizzy, especially first thing in the morning, and in periods of very hot weather I find this drink helps to alleviate the symptoms as it is mineral filled. For this reason in the summer I will often have a drink of this before I get up. It's a lovely start to the day as well so that's a bonus!

If you do a lot of sport, in particular running, this drink may well be of interest. I often have some for a few days before a flight as I think it helps to stop that dehydrated feeling.

They have packaged the drink in a very attractive little tetra pack and the pineapple version is in a pretty sky blue and green. It's a delicious way to hydrate yourself and is always on my shopping list.

The only downside is the price which is steep for a small drink.

Available from the following outlets:

Holland & Barrett
Harvey Nichols
Ocado
Planet Organic
Selfridges & Co.
Waitrose
Whole Foods Market