Revealment of Sparkling Water

Fizzy water

Mumbai summers are very hot, wet and frustrating. There’s no doubt about it. So, on one of such afternoon we were driving through the fiery heat enjoying the natural sauna bath. We halted for a break and I popped out to have a no sweetener refreshing drink. I went to the supermarket and brought a bottle of an French sparkling water. The moment I stepped out of the market and looked straight ahead, I was welcomed by inquisitive stares. I quietly opened the door and sat down unscrewing the bottle cap. I managed that within thirty seconds and hurriedly took a hankering gulp. Refreshed!!! That’s what I felt to the core. I offered it to my friend in the driver seat. He took a casual sip and saw the price of the bottle. He asked me in a rather sarcastic manner. If you wanted aerated water without sweetener, you could have just bought a local club soda. Alright, I lost it then because it’s an insult. Sparkling water is not soda. I am talking about the naturally sparkling water in specific. I politely explained to my friend the difference between the two. But this made me realize that people hardly know about sparkling water. But our readers should definitely know. So we went ahead to do more research about the concept of naturally sparkling water.

Ice age : Bottled glacier water

Sparkling water, carbonated water and seltzer are relative terms and mean the same in dictionary. There are two types of such water one which is naturally carbonated and other in which carbon dioxide is impregnated through a chemical process. The one which is naturally carbonated is called Sparkling water. The others are carbonated water or seltzer which is artificially impregnated with carbon dioxide. All sparkling water are mineral water but all mineral water isn’t sparkling water.  The trend of drinking sparkling water dates back to the 13^th Century. It was during those times that the water was discovered which was found fizzy. The origin was considered as a miracle of God. Even Leonardo Da Vinci had visited the source of such water in Italy to examine the miracle. After several years, Science by its natural instinct stole away the credit from God and put forth the theory behind it.   Artificially sparkling water was discovered much later when a bowl of water placed over a beer barrel got carbonated. This water surprisingly tasted pleasant and he often served it to his friends as a refreshing drink. Encouraged by this discovery, in 1772 Priestly wrote and published a paper called "Impregnating Water with Fixed Air". In this paper, Priestly describes how a few drops of 'oil of vitriol' (sulphuric acid) came in contact with chalk and produced carbon dioxide gas which was then transferred into a shaken bowl of water. That’s the time when the process was refined by Jacob Priesly to give birth to terms like aerated drinks, club soda and such others.

Glace: Bottled Iceberg water

The sources of mineral water are underlying the surface of earth especially on slopes or near mountainous terrain. Water gets accumulated under the surface of the earth due to continuous seepage of rain water or cracks in the terrain. The water is mineralized due to the residue of volcanic eruptions which contain limestone. The limestone reacts with underground water and gives rise to water with mineral content. When I say mineral, yes it does indicate that the water is rich in content of minerals like calcium chloride, fluoride, Sodium, Silicon, lithium, magnesium, potassium and strontium (not Strontium 90 which is a radioactive element). Mineral water is not limited to be found only in this manner. It can be also obtained from artesian well, springs, Glaciers, Iceberg. The quantum of minerals present in the well water and spring water is higher to the rest of the sources. Due to presence of volcanic gases, the water gets naturally carbonated. Such waters are ideally preferred for their supposed curative properties. However this water is not bottled directly. The water and the gas are captured separately and then during bottling are compounded. Some manufacturers add some more amount of Carbon Dioxide to fortify the drink.

The mineral content of water can be judged on the basis of TDS:

Total Dissolved Solids

·                     Low: Below 250mg/litre

·                     Medium: 250mg/litre-800mg/litre

·                     High: 1500m/litre

There are certain other indications which are present on the bottle label and are mandatory. One of them is the pH of the water. pH means percentage of hydrogen. If the pH indicated is

·                     Between 6.7 and 7.3 :  water is neutral

·                     Between 7.3 and 7.8 : water has a hint of sweetness

·                     Between 7.8 and 10: water is alkaline.

Perrier: Naturally sparkling water from France

Best Sparkling Water Brands

There is no doubt that Perrier Sparkling Water is the most famous sparkling water brand in the US. This bottled water is made from a spring located in Vergeze in the Gard department of France. The company is owned by the food major, Nestle Corporation. Perrier was the first brand of sparkling water imported in the US. The water used in Perrier is naturally carbonized which happens due to the effect of volcanic gases in the rocks near the spring. To maintain its unique identity, the company collects the water and carbonic gas separately. Both the gas and water are collected from the same source but in the bottling process carbon dioxide is added to the water. Hence, when a Perrier bottle is opened, the level of carbonation in the bottled water matches the natural water found in the spring.

Here are some more reputed brands of sparkling water.

Voss: Artesian well water from Norway

Voss Water: Norway

 Voss Water is one of the finest brands of sparkling water in the world. It isn’t naturally sparkling. However the water is obtained from artesian well. Voss Water comes in two versions - sparkling and normal mineral water. Many websites have ranked Voss Water as one of the gentle and purest sparkling water brands in the world.

San Pelligrino: Italian naturally sparkling water.
 Highest grossing brand across Europe

San Pellegrino : Italy

 San Pellegrino is very popular not only in Italy but all over Europe. It is considered as one of the best brands due to its taste and high carbonation. San Pellegrino is also one of the highest selling sparkling water brands in Europe. It is so popular that it can also be bought in a drug store..

 Gerolsteiner: Germany

 The Germans have always believed in doing something different and Gerolsteiner is a perfect example of that. Gerolsteiner sparkling water is naturally carbonated and is considered a well-balanced health tonic filled with essential minerals and salts.

Antipodes : New Zealand

 It has been awarded for its quality taste and its great presentation. Antipodes has always been a local company, but in recent years has received worldwide success and popularity. People who drink it get a hang of it, because of its delicious taste it has become a major export item for the government of New Zealand.

Sparkling water is delicately carbonated. Hence it doesn’t cause any harm to the teeth like other carbonated beverages that cause dental erosion. Sparkling water contains no artificial sweeteners and harmful chemicals. . It has very less number of calories which makes it beneficial for people wanting to lose weight. All sparkling water should be consumed from a glass bottle even though the plastic bottle is cheaper.

So there we are.. Please don not mistake sparkling water with club soda.

Beat the heat with some chilled sparkling water this summer.

Cheers!!!!
Asmita