Each February, I find myself returning—almost by instinct—to Berkeley Springs, a place that feels less like a destination and more like a ritual. Known as “America’s First Spa,” this quietly magnetic town has been drawing seekers of healing waters for more than 8,500 years—from Native Americans to a young George Washington, who famously wrote of the “fam’d warm springs.”
The water still flows today—74.3 degrees Fahrenheit, more than 1,000 gallons per minute—unchanged, constant, and central to life here. Established in 1776 for the express purpose of caring for those who came to “take the waters,” Berkeley Springs remains one of the only towns in America founded on wellness itself.
It is precisely this lineage that makes the annual Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting—now in its 36th year—feel so meaningful. Often called the “Academy Awards of Water,” the event gathers entries from across the globe and brings together a panel of media judges (myself included) to evaluate waters with the same rigor one might apply to fine wine: appearance, aroma, taste, mouthfeel, and finish. As one of ten media judges—and a Certified Water Taster—I joined colleagues from national and regional media in evaluating entries from around the world. We sniffed, sipped, and swirled waters in four categories: municipal waters, non-carbonated waters, sparkling waters, and purified drinking waters.
This year’s tasting featured more than 100 entries representing four continents . . .
The event offers meaningful value to both still and sparkling bottled waters: a win at Berkeley Springs confers coveted bragging rights, and many brands redesign their labels to showcase gold, silver, or bronze medals. In the 2026 competition alone, more than a dozen entries featured medal-adorned packaging.
Jill Klein Rone, event producer and Arthur von Wiesenberger, watermaster
Entries were sourced from seventeen states, two Canadian provinces, and fourteen foreign countries. “There were municipal entries from Canada, and states from California to Florida. The total number of countries represented over the life of the event is 63—including, new this year, waters from Tibet, South Africa, Hungary, and Vietnam,” said event producer Jill Klein Rone.
“The consistency in winners from year to year with different panels of judges validates the choices,” noted watermaster Arthur von Wiesenberger. “It also speaks to the impressively high caliber of the waters entered.”
The event is held at The Country Inn and presented by the Town of Bath and Berkeley Springs Water Works in partnership with Travel Berkeley Springs, with support from Peak Health of West Virginia, the WV River’s Coalition, and a grant from the Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area.
This year’s tasting featured more than 100 entries representing four continents, with top honors awarded across multiple categories.
2026 Winners: Top Five by Category
Best Municipal Water – 2026
1st – Ft. Wayne, IN
2nd – Metropolitan Water District of Southern CA
3rd – Eldorado Springs, CO
4th – Santa Ana, CA
5th – Lloyd W. Michael Water Treatment Plant, Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Best Non-Carbonated Water – 2026
1st – Babinda Springs, Queensland, Australia
2nd – Jano Spring Water, New Brunswick, Canada
3rd – Puritas Spring Water, Barkly East, South Africa
4th – Wilderness Mountain, Bland, VA
5th – tie – Grand Springs, Alton, VA and San Graziano Mineral Water, Mariano Comense (Como), Italy
Best Sparkling Water – 2026
1st – San Graziano Water, Mariano Comense, Italy
2nd – Adobe Mountain, Sacramento, CA
3rd – Theoni Carbonated Natural Mineral Water, Karditsa, Greece
4th – tie – Azuga Sparkling Water, Prahova, Romania and Wilderness Mountain Smooth Sparkling, Bland, VA
5th – Smeraldina Sparkling Artesian Water, Sardinia, Italy
Best Purified Drinking Water – 2026
1st – Aquae A.M.O.R.E., Costa Mesa, CA
2nd – Le Sage Natural Water, Lesage, WV
3rd – Norland Pure Premium Enhanced Water, Lincoln, NE
People’s Choice Package Design – 2026
1st – PERIDOT Naturally Alkaline Super-Premium Low-Deuterium Ice Age Mineral Water, Pusztazamor, Hungary
2nd – Cedar Mountain, Tioga County, PA (750ml Frosted)
3rd – Cedar Mountain, Tioga County, PA (375ml Clear)
4th – Wilderness Mountain Water Company, Bland, VA
5th – Adobe Mountain, Sacramento, CA
The 37th annual Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting is scheduled for February 27, 2027.
Beyond the medals and international acclaim, what stays with me is something more elemental: the return to the park, the ritual of the bathhouses, the immersion in waters that have drawn seekers for centuries. In Berkeley Springs, water isn’t just tasted—it is experienced, deeply and personally.
Mary Bemis
A pioneering voice in spa and wellness journalism, Mary Bemis has spent four decades chronicling, championing, and helping shape the modern spa industry. As Founder and Editorial Director of Insider’s Guide to Spas, she brings a distinctive editorial perspective informed by a career that has helped define the language and landscape of spa media. Mary launched American Spa magazine in 1997, co-founded Organic Spa, and helped launch Luxury SpaFinder and NewBeauty. Her industry leadership extends to board service with ISPA, NYSPA, and WSPA, the latter two organizations she helped establish. She has also served as Special Advisor to the Balneology Association of North America. Today, she serves as Special Advisor to Global Wellness Day and sits on the board of the International Sauna Aid Foundation. Recognized among Medika Life’s Top 30 Influential Voices Transforming Wellness, Mary is also a recipient of the prestigious ISPA Dedicated Contributor Award, an inaugural Folio Top Women in Media honoree, and an American Spa Wonder Woman of Wellness. Her mission remains as steadfast as ever: to keep spa culture alive and relevant, honor its roots, challenge its shortcomings, and inspire an industry to live up to its promise.
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