• Naturally delicious

  Vertical Water™ is 100% pure. It's naturally low-calorie, with a lightly sweet, thirst-quenching taste

• Not what you think

  Not sticky sap, not water mixed with maple syrup. It's the delicious water that maple trees filter naturally, sweeten lightly and fortify with their own nutrients

• A mission to conserve American forests

  Sharing the maple water from forest owners’ trees gives them a financially viable reason for keeping their trees vertical longer

The forest’s best kept secret

For centuries, maple water has been enjoyed by a lucky few locals in maple country. Pure and delicious, it’s a treat we’re now bringing to you. We think you’ll thank us.

As winter ends, warmer days trigger water to rise from the ground up into maple trees. This water flows vertically through trunks and branches, delivering nutrients for growth. Every drop is naturally filtered and fortified with trace nutrients. We tap this flow, and – voilá – out comes the lightly sweet maple water we love.

There’s no downside: the trees hardly know we’re there, the water is constantly replaced through the roots, and you get to enjoy a chilled drink that refreshes every time – with 3 grams of sugar per 240 mL serving. It’s our mission to help conserve American forestland, and by drinking Vertical Water™ you’re part of that mission too.

Maple water =more healthy forests

Feronia Forests is an award winning Certified B Corporation dedicated to conserving American forestland.

Vertical Water™ was started as part of these efforts.

Let’s clear up some misperceptions

Maple water is not water with maple syrup added.

Not even close. Vertical Water™ is naturally filtered by maple trees and enhanced by their nutrients. It’s tapped fresh, then bottled. Nothing is added. It’s perfect as is.

Maple syrup is not what flows from tapped maple trees.

That’s maple water, the raw ingredient in maple syrup. It takes boiling down 40 gallons of maple water to get just 1 gallon of maple syrup. Who knew?

Maple sap is not thick and sticky.

All trees have sap – it’s how they get their nourishment. And some saps, such as pine sap, are like glue. But a few species, such as maple and birch, have refreshing, water-like sap that flows in the spring.

Maple water is not a byproduct of anything. It’s what comes right from the tree.

Some makers sell the water that’s leftover from the maple syrup production process, but by then the sugar and most of the nutrients have been removed. They market it like fancy water but it tastes essentially like plain water. Vertical Water™ is the real thing, the water that comes straight from the maple tree. Nothing added, nothing removed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why the name Vertical Water™?

Unlike water from a spring, this water flows vertically up and down a tree, awakening it for springtime growth. And because Vertical Water™ gives forest owners a way to make money from their living trees, we help keep trees vertical longer.

Is Vertical Water™ certified organic?

Vertical Water™ is not certified organic for the simple reason that it doesn’t have to be. True, some food requires an organic certification to prove it’s been produced in an environmentally friendly manner and does not contain any chemical residues. But it’s hard to find anything more natural and organic than the pure sap that flows through maple trees in the spring. Vertical Water™ comes from wild forests and mature trees that have been in their natural settings for decades. It doesn’t get any more organic.

Does tapping for maple water hurt the trees?

In short, no. Only a small amount of water is carefully extracted from a tree each year. And the water in maple trees is continually refreshed as we tap them – gallons and gallons flow through a mature tree each season. Long-term research has shown that properly tapped maple trees live just as long as untapped ones. So, no harm done.

What temperature should it be served at?

Temperature makes a difference in the taste of maple water. The ideal temperature for drinking it is the temperature when it first comes out of the tree: around 40°F.

When should I drink Vertical Water™?

Vertical Water™ is delightfully hydrating for anytime you're thirsty. It is also a delicious base for your coffee, tea, smoothies, juices, or cooking.

Why do you bottle it in a Tetra Pak?

Tetra Pak has a lower carbon footprint compared with other options, and it also requires the least amount of processing, so what you get actually tastes as if it just came out of the tree.

Has Vertical Water™ been processed?

Yes, minimally. It’s done thermally through an FDA certified plant. This is how we can enjoy the fresh maple water taste year round.

What is the shelf life of Vertical Water™?

The product is marked with an expiration date of 14 months after being harvested and bottled.

What is a B Corporation?

B Corporations are certified by the nonprofit B Lab to meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. B Corporations are measured on the basis of their environmental and social/community impact in addition to their financial performance. Other best in environment award winning B Corps include Patagonia, Method Products and Seventh Generation.

How does Vertical Water™ compare with coconut water?

There’s no comparison. A 240 mL serving of Vertical Water™ has just 15 calories, 3 grams of sugar, and it just plain tastes better. It has a smaller carbon footprint, and exclusively sourced and bottled in the U.S.

Better together

We’re proud to partner with DriveChange. Their Snowday maple food truck was developed specifically as a place for formerly incarcerated youth to reenter the workforce. Starting in mid-March 2014, Vertical Water™ will be available on Snowday. We donate the product, they turn the profits around to help more young people. Everybody wins.