Liquid gold, in a nutshell

Colas, sugary drinks and other much-maligned beverages of their ilk are feeling the heat not just of the summer but from the rise of new-age packaged liquids that are natural, healthful, harmless or vitamin-fortified.

And consumers such as Lin Weiwei find these novelties cool. On a recent visit to a supermarket, Lin loaded as many as six packs of coconut water into her trolley.

"Suddenly, many of my friends are talking about these. They say they drink coconut water after a workout. Some are into freshly squeezed fruit juices," said Lin, mother of a four-year-old in Beijing.