Okay, so we know what you are thinking, “I’m not drinking anything called Sweat”….but hear us out.

 

Pocari Sweat (ポカリスエット) is a Japanese health/energy drink marketed as an aid to replace ions, electrolytes and nutrients lost during workouts, heat waves or generally anytime you sweat. It tastes highly unlike any of the energy drinks we are used to here in the UK such as Red Bull, Monster or Lucozade. Pocari Sweat in non carbonated, tastes very sweet and has a somewhat mild grapefruity aftertaste, it’s not for everyone but it’s certainly worth a go. Especially when you consider that a similarly sized can of Red Bull costs £2 or over and you can pick up so Pocari Sweat for about 70p.

.

Pocari Sweat was developed by Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. A company that markets health based products related to nutrition. It launched its Pocari Sweat energy drink in 1980 and it has gone on to be the company’s best selling product worldwide. On the cans and bottles Pocari Sweat is stylised in English and the humours aspect of having a drink named Sweat is lost to the Japanese. The company chose to call their drink Sweat because supposedly it replaces everything you lose during sweating, the word Pocari has no real meaning an instead was chosen for its sound.

 

I’m sure this needs no explanation

 

The current spokesman for Pocari Sweat in Japan is the internationally renowned actor, director and comedian ‘Beat’ Takashi Kitano. If that name dosen’t ring any bells you may know him from Takashi’s Castle on Challenge TV as the guy who drives around in the little cart at the end. Kitano’s adverts for the brand are typically rather odd and don’t particularly sell any real aspect of the product, but when probably the biggest name and most well known Japanese face is endorsing your product, perhaps you don’t need too. As an aside, before Beat took up the role, Cindy Crawford was one of their spokespeople.

 

Kitano commands you to drink Sweat

 

You can purchase Pocari Sweat in pretty much any supermarket in Chinatown and it’s sold in small (tin), medium and large (plastic) bottles. Much of the Pocari Sweat avalible in Newcastle is emblazed with Korean writing, but this is simply where the product is imported from. If you can get past the name, give it a go, and let us know what you think!