Towns in Sweden, Romania, U.S. win water tasting contest

March 2004

U.S. Water News Online

BERKELEY SPRINGS, W.Va. -- Ice Mist from Morarp, Sweden, was crowned best bottled water in the world, while Bosec of Harghita County, Romania, won the carbonated bottled water category in an international water tasting contest.

Tap water form Desert Hot Springs, California, won the gold medal for municipal water, and Pure StoneClear Springs of Vanleer, Tennessee, won for purified drinking water, at the 14th annual Berkeley Springs International Water Taste.

Water from Bosnia and Canada also won prizes in the contest where judges sipped samples from six countries.

Generally, the more natural a water is, the better it tastes and the better it fares in competition. Some municipal systems use as many as 30 chemicals to clarify, treat and flavor their water. Potassium, for example, makes water sweeter, while calcium and magnesium give it body.

The ideal water is colorless and clear, odor-free, with a balanced mouth feel and no single overpowering taste or aftertaste. Each sample is weighed on six points: appearance, odor, flavor, mouth feel, aftertaste and overall impression.

These were the results of the contest:

Municipal Water

Gold Medal: Desert Hot Springs, California
Silver Medal: Daytona Beach, Florida
Bronze Medal: Kent, Ohio
4th Place: San Francisco
5th Place: Dubuque, Iowa

Non-Carbonated Bottled Water

Gold Medal: Ice Mist, Morarp, Sweden
Silver Medal: Real Water, Bearpaw Ridge, B.C., Canada
Bronze Medal (tie): Ontario Gold Beverage, Barrie, Canada, and StoneClear Premium Spring Water, Vanleer, Tennessee
4th Place: Fountain Natural Spring, Keyser, West Virginia
5th Place: Laure Pristine Spring, Johnson City, Tennessee

Purified Drinking Water

Gold Medal: Pure StoneClear Premium Springs of Vanleer, Tennessee.
Silver Medal: Blue Moon, Manitoba, Canada
Bronze Medal: Saskatchewan Clear, Saskatchewan, Canada
4th Place (tie): Clear Creek, Farmington, New Mexico, and Imibe, Broad View, Saskatchewan, Canada
5th Place: Cool Wave, Upper Marlboro, Maryland

Carbonated Bottled Water

Gold Medal: Bosec, Harghita County, Romania
Silver Medal: Kiseljak Princess, Bosnia
Bronze Medal: StoneClear Springs, Vanleer, Tennessee.

Package Design

Gold Medal: One Liter, Northumberland County, Markham, Canada
Silver Medal: Oaza, Tesanj, Bosnia
Bronze Medal: StoneClear Springs, Vanleer, Tennessee.
4th Place: Daytona Beach, Florida.
5th Place: Chilliwack, B.C., Canada

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