In less than ten years, bottled water consumption has doubled, and so-called designer waters are among the latest must-have accessories. According to food anthropologists, ” real” or high-end waters always come from a spring or a glacier, with individual properties derived from the holy source. Any water has its very own terroir, which determines the mineral content, pH- levels, its hardness and other important characteristics. This unique formula allows proper pairing with a meal, the adequate choice of stemware, and of course, the optimal temperature at which the noble drop is to be served—and savoured, as if it were the most exceptional of Grand Crus.
Part of the emerging trend toward water connoisseurship may be our heightened want for purity, the need to keep clean on the inside, when the outside suffers under the steady assault by a myriad of polluting influences. Basic knowledge of water connoisseurship will not go amiss —no matter if the water poured from an elegantly or oddly shaped, crystal-dotted or designer label branded bottle is meant to quench our thirst or our need for recognition and attention. If you are a true water elitist, you won’t mind spending up to 60 USD for the better part of a litre.
Antipodes
The Antipodes are a group of rocky islands southeast of New Zealand. The eponymous water carries the labels premium, natural and artesian (read: from a glacier). The company claims an ultimate mild taste for this water, which comes from a 1000-foot deep-pressured aquifer (layer of permeable rock) and spends about 50 years filtering through a substrata volcanic reef.
Y water
This vitamin-infused water is really aimed at kids. It's packaged in quirky Y-shaped bottles, called knots, created by Swiss-born superstar industrial designer Yves Béhar to double as LEGO-like construction toys. This certified organic water comes in four sugarless flavours, benefiting the development of brain, muscle, bone, and immune system.
10 Thousand BC
Supposedly locked in an icy vault for over 10,000 years, 10 Thousand BC luxury glacier water is harvested from a glacier in British Columbia, Canada. The producer swears water had a memory, and so theirs is corked and packaged to the calming notes of inspirational music. The elegantly frosted bottle is made from a special high-quality glass aimed to reduce breakage to preserve the precious aqua.
Glaceau Smartwater
The next generation of sports drinks, Smart Water is mineral-enriched and bottled to make us look and drink our best during a tennis match, 18 holes of golf, or the simple gym workout routine. Its stimulated water molecules are said to have the ability to absorb toxins throughout the body, thereby increasing the body's ability to detoxify. For those still unconvinced: Jennifer Aniston puts her name and face to it.
Bling H2O
Designer Water pioneer H2O has added value to water by inviting Hollywood writer-producer Kevin G. Boyd to cover a bottle in Sawarovski crystals. For created on the idea that the bottle you carry apparently says more than 1000 words, Bling H2O, has been spotted in the hands of numerous celebrities, even at awards ceremonies like the Emmy’s or the Grammy’s.
VOSS
Sold in one of the most beautiful, minimalistic bottles, this Norwegian contender is described as the country’s most precious and purest artesian water. Kudos to the company for introducing the VOSS Foundation, a rather virulent initiative dedicated to providing access to pure, clean drinking water to sub-Saharan African communities.
OGO
Presented in an extra cute bottle, this oxygenated water claims to contain 35 per cent more dissolved taste-bud-stimulating oxygen than regular drinking water, thus making OGO the ideal companion for fine foods and wine. The sensory experience put aside; the instantly recognisable futuristic bottle looks fantastic, in swanky and in contemporary surroundings. The funky water comes also in sparkling and/or a fiery red glass bottle.
Metromint Water
Just as the name suggests, this water contains a touch of mint, minus the usual dash of sugar. Allegedly, this water pairs the essence of the world’s best mint from the Yakima Valley (Washington State) with water purified by way of reverse-osmosis to save all the good stuff, while filtering out the bad. You can choose from a string of flavours, including chocolatemint.
