Canadian Gold Beverages, based in Marchand, took top honours for their sparkling water at the 24th annual Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting competition.
It was a battle of the titans at the 24th annual Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting competition. More than 100 people crowded The Country Inn in Berkeley Springs on Saturday night, including water representatives from South Korea and Thailand. Ten media judges spent hours tasting and selecting from among nearly 100 waters sourced in 18 states, three Canadian provinces and 12 foreign countries. For the first time in the contest’s history, an African water was entered. “Adding Tanzania gave use all five continents,” said Jeanne Mozier, an event founder.
Sparkling waters are all sourced from outside the United States. The best sparkling water in the world was Canadian Gold Sparkling Mineral Water from Marchand, MB, Canada, with Jackson Springs Natural Premium Spring Water, also of Manitoba, winning second. Antipodes, Whakatane, New Zealand was third. Two Bosnian waters and another from New Zealand tied for fourth place. “The consistency in winners from year to year with different panels of judges validates the choices,” remarked perennial watermaster, Arthur von Wiesenberger. “It also speaks to the impressively high caliber of the waters entered.”
Locals in the standing room only crowd cheered for the winner in the purified category. The gold medal was won by Mountain Drop from Linthicum, MD bottling local Berkeley Springs water. The silver was a tie between Indigo H2O, Elkhart, IN and Bar H2O, Richmond, MI. Berkeley Springs water entered under its own name of Berkeley Springs Purified Water won the bronze tied with January Sales, Barnston QE, Canada.
