Sydney,
Water from freshly-opened young coconuts is best, as it is full of living enzymes and nutrients that have not been damaged by heat. This is the only truly raw coconut water that is fully “alive.” You will find young coconuts at most Caribbean and Asian markets, as well as health/natural food stores such as Whole Foods. You may be able to find this type of coconut water already bottled at your local juice bar. Keep in mind that fresh coconut water has a shelf-life of only three to four days.
The second option would be “HPP’d” bottled coconut water that is stored in refrigerators in grocery stores. One brand would be Harmless Harvest. These waters are high pressure processed (a process known as HPP), which considerably extends the product’s shelf-life and is slightly less damaging to coconut water than normal pasteurization (e.g., flash pasteurization).
I don’t recommend buying coconut waters that are not refrigerated, such as Zico. Those coconut waters have been subjected to high heat (cooked) and are therefore “lifeless” or “dead,” if you will.
