I love a fine glass of water with my meal. Yes, I said water. Don't get me wrong, for a festive celebration, champagne, prosecco and wine is fabulous. But pair my meal with an exceptional glass of bottled water and I am a very happy (and hydrated) girl.
Water Obsessed. Not only do I love bottled water, but I am a bit obsessed with different brands, mineral analysis, source and differing PH levels. Even though all bottled water looks about the same, the chemical analysis and source origins will reveal a wide variety of differences in taste and health properties. Every time I go out to eat I request "sparkling" water for the table, not really because I want to pay $10 for a $3 bottle, but because I love discovering new brands of bottled water. I always say, you can judge a restaurant by the bottled water they serve. A good example: Delano in South Beach (one of my fave hotels ever) always serves VOSS water, one of my bottled water faves. Check out the rest of my top ten list...
My water preferences. Everyone will crave different qualities in a bottled water. Here are my basic preferences:
Still or sparkling: sparkling with meals.
Minerality: high in minerals (for health of course).
Source Origin: Anywhere as long as it is pure, natural and from a 'deep' source.
Glass or Plastic Bottle: Glass. Duh.
With lemon or Without: With. But not always.
PH Level: Highest possible! I want water that is low in acidity.
Kathy's Top Ten Bottled Water Brands (Suitable for Dining)
*in no particular order
1. VOSS Water - Norway est. April 2000I adore VOSS water. It always tastes amazing and it gives me happy memories of chugging it all day long at the Delano hotel in South Beach. VOSS in the glass bottle is best. But the glass vs. plastic can sometimes be twice as expensive. VOSS comes in sparkling or still. Both versions are divine.
From FineWaters.com: "VOSS Artesian Water is amongst the purest waters in the world. Taken from a virgin aquifer shielded for centuries under ice and rock in the untouched wilderness of central Norway."
2. Sanfaustino - ItalyI adore Sanfaustino. It is naturally lightly effervescent. So for those of you who like bubbles, but just a little, Sanfaustino is for you. My favorite thing about Sanfaustino is that it is a very good source of calcium! Calcium from water? You have to be impressed with that. Fast Fact: "Eight glasses of refreshing, all-natural Sanfaustino provides 80 percent of the adult calcium RDA. And Sanfaustino is sodium free."
3. San Pellegrino - Italy est. 1899
OK, so San Pel is a bit mainstream, but really it's delicious and high quality all the way. You can find it just about anywhere, so bottled water cravers can indulge at a pizza place or even while fine dining. You can even find it in the fridge at most drug stores. While it's not my fave in terms of exoticness, San Pel is classic sparkling bottled water. For best taste, buy it in the glass bottle, not plastic.
4. Eternal - New Zealand est. 2005Eternal is a newer bottled water. Established in 2005. But the actual water is very very very old. It is still, not sparkling. I have tried it a few times and love it. Not a big fan of plastic bottles, but check out this Fast Fact...
FineWaters.com: "Eternal Artesian water has been carbon dated at over 50,000 years old. This is because the bore is extremely deep and taps into the oldest part of the Aquifer. The water that you are drinking fell from the sky long before modern humans were around and pollution existed. Eternal Artesian Water is high in bicarbonates and has a natural pH of 8.0 making it the perfect alkaline water to help balance your body’s Ph."
5. Gerolsteiner - Germany est. 1888Gerolsteiner is my favorite German sparkling water, and maybe even my overall fave sparkling water from overseas! I love that I can always find this exotic high quality water at my local Trader Joe's. Very sparkling. Fizzy. Yum.
FineWaters.com says: "The closest thing to taking mineral supplements in a naturally-occurring water; Since 1888, a famed health tonic, naturally carbonated."
6. Saratoga - USA est. 1872I try to be local. And this is one of the more local waters on my list. Bottled in upstate New York in Saratoga Springs, Saratoga is the water in that flashy blue bottle. Still or sparkling available. Fresh, crisp, delish. (And for me, local)
FineWaters.com says: "In the 14th Century the Iroquois Indians discovered the therapeutic value of Saratoga Springs. In 1872 the first Saratoga Springs bottling plant was opened on the same site on which it is still bottled today."
7. Penta - USAPenta was once known as 'the oxygen water'. And there was some controversy about 'oxygen-infused' waters. Well Penta is really not about oxygen-infusion, in my view, it is about the intensive purification systen the water goes through. This still water product is incredibly pure.
FineWaters.com says: "Penta water is natural and pure - free of chlorine, fluoride, bromate, arsenic, MTBE, and hundreds of other chemicals found in some tap water (see Contents). Using a proprietary, patent-pending process, Penta water is cleaned, processed and stabilized for absolute safety without the use of chemicals or additives."
8. Calistoga - USA est. 1924This is a sentimental fave for me. I frequently visited the small spa town of Calistoga as a kid growing up in California. I love that little town, with its NAPA Valley style (and close proximity). Calistoga is dotted with many casual mini spa hotels featuring pools of the hot mineral sprigs water. Bathing in Calistoga water? Yes please! And the water is divine to drink. Not the same water you've bathed in mind you. :) Nice mineral analysis as well.
FineWaters.com says: "Geothermal rock strata give Calistoga Sparkling Mineral Water its own mineral base. Not only does Calistoga® Brand Sparkling Mineral Water help restore a fluid base, but its minerals add a distinctive, refreshing taste."
9. Volvic - FranceI love Volvic as a sippable still water. No fancy packaging, just a clean fresh taste. Totally explosive purity-maybe because it comes from ancient volcanos.
FineWaters.com says: "Volvic is drawn from a huge underground reserve in the heart of the volcanic range and bottled immediately without any contact with the outside world."
10. eVamor - USAI love this still water because it has such a low acidity/high pH of 9. Fabulous for drinking all day long or at my meal. I wish they had a glas bottle version! eVamor even claims to assist with weight/fat loss. But I wouldn't go that far, I prefer the science that is cold stone: the low acidity level. Awesome. Features: "Ancient Artesian water; Uncontaminated by surface waters; Naturally high Alkaline pH of 9; Antioxidants and essential trace minerals; Great tasting."
Have you Tried This Water? Perusing the FineWaters.com website I found a few bottled waters that I am just dying to try. Have you seen or tried any of these??? They sound fantastic:
1. Staatl. Fachingen - Germany"To this day, Staatl. Fachingen is one of few nationally distributed and most-known mineral water brands in Germany. Due to its unique combination of mineral nutrients and its high concentration of hydrogen carbonate (higher than 1.800 mg/l), it has a positive influence on the natural sensitive acid-base balance of the body. Its basic character helps to neutralize acids in the body and stomach and thus contributes to a daily well-being."
2. Ferrarelle - Naples, ItalyFineWaters says: "Source dates pre-Roman; From Southern Italy mountains, Val D'Assano, inland from Naples; Devotees drink nothing else; high minerals."
3. Penguin Ice - CanadaWith the adorable bottle with a little penguin on frosted glass, how could anyone resist trying this water?
4. Wattwiller - France
100% nitrate free. (most bottled waters contain very trace amounts of nitrate.) This ancient pure water must be fantastic!
Water Sites I Love:
http://www.finewaters.com/
http://www.borealwater.com/
***ALWAYS RECYCLE YOUR BOTTLES***
