To me, there are two kinds of people in the world: those who drink and those who don’t. Personally, I am a non-drinker. I don’t need anything fancy to keep me energized throughout the day, just drink some water. If you're not sure which side you fall on, answer this question: Do you always carry no less than three drinks? If your answer is no, you're just like me. If your answer is "yes", congratulations - you are now a certified drinker.
TikTok is known to be full of unique niches and one-of-a-kind communities, but the platform might be even better with its network of users who can enjoy multiple drinks at the same time, bringing out their entire personalities. You may remember a popular voice from 2021 that discussed the Three Beverage Theory, in which creator @sophiawpelton called having a variety of liquids the "height of luxury" and suggested that every drink should fall into one of three categories : Fun, hydration, and energy.
"It could be water, matcha, Spindrift. It could even be water, vodka, Red Bull... In those moments, I feel like I have it all," the TikToker said. "I live big, I'm a little prince. Like, caffeine, relief, hydration."
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Since October 2021, the voice has been featured in nearly 12,000 videos. To this day, whenever someone is working from home with a similar setup, you can almost guarantee they'll be demonstrating their drink of choice with this audio. The viral moment even inspired user @thecenteredlife to turn the phenomenon into a song, in which the creator labels those who need "at least three drinks at a time" as "drink goblins." Drink Man, Drink Fairy—same difference.
The song claims that drink fairies rely on copious amounts of drink while working on "body and mind" and "getting [their] brains going."
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Given that most of these TikToks revolve around productivity and work, it seems likely that the rise of the three drinks theory is a direct result of WFH culture. At least that's the assumption you'd be led to believe by users like @annikaizora, who drinks some "emotional support drink" every morning to prepare for work. Whether this is true remains to be seen, but it looks like either trend is here to stay.
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The three-drink lifestyle has become an important part of users’ daily lives. People like @heyitscheyna and @no702ang have even invested in carriers so they can carry their three drinks wherever they go. The matriarch of @_thedennisfamily, on the other hand, chooses to drink water alone, even when she's on the road.
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The concept has even made its way into aesthetic morning routine videos, like TikTok from @courtneyycahoon, in which the creator gets ready for the day with matcha, a pre-workout energy drink, and a Stanley cup filled with ice water. Meanwhile, @elainamich's Saturday routine includes water, tea, and coffee from Starbucks.
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Even though I'm a total non-drinker, this trend really inspired me to add coffee to the mix this morning, and I have to say, I'm starting to see the hype. Baby steps I guess.
