Liquid I.V. Hot Chocolate

By Martin Peyruc, Reporter

The Reckless Gastronome, Life News Today

Hello gentle readers, assuming I can get this written and published in a timely manner (it’s a long shot), I’m writing this in the aftermath of a fairly large winter storm that has hit most of the Eastern United States (January 2026, since for some reason our articles don’t have the year on them.) Maybe the first one of several, if the tiny gnomes that live inside my phone and predict the weather are to be believed (that’s how cell phones work, probably.) So, as I’m digging myself out of the snow (I was too cold to start shoveling as it was coming down, so now it has hardened enough to support my not insubstantial weight without cracking) I find myself needing to desperately warm up and replenish the moisture I’ve been sweating out (because being cold and sweaty is so much fun) as I destroy yet another shovel trying to get out.

As tempting as it is to discuss the pre-Columbian history of hot chocolate, I think today’s topic will be electrolytes (I’m going to be out of luck if I end up reviewing a Gatorade flavor, but we’ll burn that bridge when we come to it.) Now, obviously I’m not a scientist or a doctor (or really anyone who should feel comfortable giving unsolicited opinions on anything, but I do that anyways) so any health claims are either from (hopefully) trustworthy sources or my personal anecdotes (not trustworthy.) I would say do your own research, but somewhere along the way this has morphed into finding the most unhinged take on the internet (think tiny weather gnomes living inside my cell phone.) So just take my word for it (and the gnomes’ word.)

The term “electrolyte” was first used by Michael Faraday in 1834. If that name seems familiar it might be for the Faraday Cages that people still use to block electromagnetic fields from interfering with electronics (it is not an electric cage used for professional wrestling, or at least not yet, I need to make some phone calls.) In its most technical sense, an electrolyte is a substance that when dissolved in water, conducts electricity. They can be acids, bases, or salts that dissociate (like me) into ions when dissolved in water (not like me, although I do tend to dissociate if I stay in the bathtub too long.)

Electrolytes are important for a number of functions in living things (they can also do unimportant things like power a clock plugged into a potato, what use does a potato have for knowing the time anyways?) Weirdly enough, Idiocracy was sort of right in that plants do in fact crave electrolytes, all living things do. They keep your fluids balanced, maintain your pH, help with nerve and muscular functions and any number of things that I can’t be bothered to look up. In a more practical sense, they help with preventing dehydration, muscle cramps, and my absolutely hellacious hangovers. Pickles, for example are full of electrolytes and that’s why Burners (people who go to fire festivals like Burning Man) are known for loving them.

Of course, the modern usage of the word mostly stems from the 1965 invention of Gatorade. Developed by the University of Florida for its student athletes (the Gators), it quickly became popular and was credited with a number of their football teams’ victories. Even losing teams would claim they lost because they didn’t have it. By 1969 it had become commercially available and was the official sports drink of the National Football League. Oh, I just realized something, the lightning bolt symbol on the logo is because it contains electrolytes. I really should have connected those dots earlier.

On a personal note, I have a hard time drinking enough water due to a reduced stomach capacity. Yes, I’m aware of the irony of being a food reviewer who can’t eat that much, but that’s actually why I’m so dedicated to trying many different and unique foods. I want what little I can eat to be memorable and as interesting as possible. Even the “gross” foods I try, can make for a good story. Back to the topic, I often get badly dehydrated and frequently wake up to muscle cramps in the middle of the night, so I have become very familiar with the brand Liquid I.V. and other “sports” drinks (sports in quotes because I’m not very sporty nor sporting for that matter, but that’s a different conversation.) This is just personal anecdote, but I have noticed a marked decrease in nighttime cramps and dry itchy eyes since I’ve made a point of keeping an electrolyte drink on my nightstand.

Now, obviously, I possess neither the training nor the equipment to properly assess any hydration claims and outside of purposely dehydrating myself there’s no real way that I can tell if I really feel a difference, so I will just assume that it works as advertised. Really though, we’re here to see how it tastes, so outside of drinking it while it’s too hot, I have a working tongue. A hard-working tongue if you listen to my spouse, meaning I talk too much. (Wait, I should ask for clarification. They might have meant something else, never mind.) The question now becomes what should the standard be, for rating a hot chocolate? As a child my grandmother made it in the traditional Colombian way with a metal pitcher on the stove top with a wooden molinillo (a wooden whisk that resembles a medieval mace.) Some quick research shows that it’s made in a similar way in Mexico, but their tools are far more ornate. Alas, I don’t have her recipe, but I do remember that she started with milk and unsweetened chocolate and then would add little sweetened condensed milk as needed. That would be my personal gold standard. The other end of the scale (and the one I’m more likely to use) is compare it to other powdered mixes such as Swiss Miss. Not bad, but not great either, but you can’t beat the convenience.

Overall, I’d say Liquid I.V. Hot Chocolate is pretty good. It has a distinct chocolate taste, that isn’t cloying or chalky. I’m pleased to say that it isn’t as salty as most electrolyte drinks. There is a subtle hint of salt far in the background, but I feel like it serves to elevate the chocolate, not overpower it. The mouth feel is a bit less pleasant compared to other powdered mixes, but to be fair that’s because it doesn’t contain any milk or milk-by-products. Adding a splash of milk (or if you are feeling fancy, some heavy cream) brings it up in line with its peers. Nowhere near making it from scratch, in terms of taste, but honestly there was little chance of that. Presuming that it gives the hydration benefits it claims (and there’s no reason not to believe it does) I’d say it has a bit of an advantage. The box doesn’t recommend more than two a day, as you can have too much electrolytes in your system, but after shoveling snow, or doing other winter activities like skating, skiing, or writing your full government name in the snow it can be quite helpful.

Found at Target