What to Drink for a Sore Throat

It’s January and the question at the forefront of everybody’s mind right now is, unfortunately, “what is the best drink for a sore throat?” If you’re searching for beverage recs rather than medical advice, search no more. I will be method-writing this whole article because I, too, currently have a sore throat. Coming at you live from the height of flu season are the best drinks to help a sore throat.

Traditional Medicinals Organic Peppermint Tea

When it comes to what to drink for a sore throat, I love me some tea. And peppermint tea just feels so refreshing—it’s just such a pleasure to drink. Sporked editor-in-chief Justine Sterling put Traditional Medicinals organic peppermint tea in the top spot in Sporked’s best peppermint tea ranking. “It’s extremely pepperminty on the nose––it instantly clears your nasal passages,” she notes. As I mouth-breathe onto my keyboard, I cannot tell you enough how much I wish this tea was here with me right now. Don’t be like me, do your future self a favor and pick this up the next time you’re grabbing groceries.

Traditional Medicinals Organic Ginger Tea

Who knew we’d all be looking for the best sore throat drinks around this time? I assume Traditional Medicinals knew, because they just keep rolling out the sore throat hits! The pleasant burn of a really nice ginger tea can be a great way to scratch that itch in your throat. In their best ginger tea ranking, Sporked senior staff writer Jordan Myrick lists Traditional Medicinals as numero uno, and says it has “the purest ginger flavor of any of the ginger teas we tried in our comprehensive taste test.” You had us at “purest ginger flavor,” Jordan. Gimme that ginger burn, baby!

Nestle Classic Rich Milk Chocolate Hot Cocoa Mix

Now, I may tell you a joke, but I will never tell you a lie, so when I say that Nestle makes damn good hot cocoa mix, you can count on that. You may not think of hot cocoa when it comes to drinks for a sore throat, but if you hand me a cup of this while I’m sick, I’m drinking every last drop. It’s a comforting and warm drink for a sore throat, and who doesn’t love chocolate?! In Sporked’s best hot chocolate mix ranking, Nestle is sitting pretty in the top spot. “It is so rich and creamy and chocolatey. Even when made with water, it tastes like it was made with whole milk,” the team writes. This is useful information if you can’t make it to the store to grab a gallon of milk. Sore throat, be on the lookout for some hot chocolate coming your way.

Gatorade Lime Cucumber

When you’re wondering what to drink for a sore throat, you may not even consider sports drinks. However, when I have a sore throat, I have a tendency to fully avoid swallowing for long periods of time (gross, I know) because swallowing hurts, which means I’m probably not drinking enough water and am dehydrated. What I do to combat that, at times, is chug a sports drink to keep hydrated. Justine ranked this number one in her list of best sports drinks, and I am fully inclined to agree. “I didn’t think I liked Gatorade until I tried this flavor,” she wrote. Gatorade: saving and changing lives, one glug at a time.

Topo Chico Mineral Water

If you’re looking for something to cool your burning throat, don’t sleep on this bubbly contender. There are a few different types of sore throat, and if yours is in the “scratchy” category, I would recommend a sip of sparkling water. In Sporked’s best sparkling water ranking, Topo Chico came out on top. This mineral water comes in a classy glass bottle and is riddled with subtle carbonation. “Topo Chico has naturally occurring fizz, but there’s also added carbonation, which gives it both zippy little bubbles and those plumper bubbles that glide along your tongue,” managing editor Gwynedd Stuart wrote. The bubbles are all we need to get a good scratch going. Topo Chico, you are formally invited to my house.

Simply Orange Juice Pulp Free

Sometimes a little bit of citrus is just what you need to send a sore throat back from whence it came. Vitamin C may not cure your sore throat, but when it comes to the best sore throat drinks, orange juice may help you shorten the length of your suffering, or so I tell myself as I continue to guzzle it. In Sporked’s ranking of the best orange juices, Simply Orange came out on top. Normally, I’m a pulp girlie all day. But the pulp-free version of Simply Orange is perfect for a sore throat because it’s just so smooth. “Tart, tangy, but not too acidic, this is the best orange juice to gulp down by the glassful,” Justine said. Finally, an OJ that’s made to be chugged. This is definitely one of the best drinks for a sore throat.