The 34th annual Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting, the world’s most prestigious, gave out awards to waters from four continents on Saturday, February 24th. Over 100 waters from five continents were entered into this year’s event, held at The Country Inn in historic Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, home to the country’s first spa.
Best Municipal Water Winners
The municipal water category saw a US sweep, from the West Coast, to the East Coast. In fact, all three medalists have formerly been awarded Gold. Santa Ana, California, took home their third Gold Medal. Silver medal was won by Village of Montpelier, Ohio, and Bronze went to Emporia, Kansas. Fourth place was Dickinson, North Dakota, and in fifth place, just one single point behind, was Harpers Ferry, West Virginia.
“The consistency in winners from year to year with different panels of judges validates the choices,” remarked esteemed watermaster, Arthur von Wiesenberger. “It also speaks to the impressively high caliber of the waters entered.”
Bottled Non-Carbonated Water Winners
Tasting the waters! Photo by Happy Rone.
Winning its first Gold Medal in the Bottled Non-Carbonated Water Category, is three-time Silver Medal winner Eldorado Natural Spring Water, Eldorado Springs, Colorado. First-time entries, Piney Plains Natural Spring Water, Little Orleans, Maryland, took Silver, and Peninsula Springs Spring Water, Doveton, Victoria, Australia. won Bronze. Rounding out the category was last year’s Bronze Medal winner, Jano, Village-Blanchard, NB, Canada in fourth, and former Gold Medal winner, Theoni Natural Mineral Water, Karditsa, Greece in fifth.
The event proves valuable for bottled waters both carbonated and still. Waters use a win in Berkeley Springs for bragging rights and often redesign their labels to include the gold, silver, or bronze medal. Over a dozen entrants in the 2024 contest sported a medal-decorated label.
Eleven media judges spent hours tasting and selecting from waters sourced in 20 states, three Canadian provinces, and 14 foreign countries. “There were municipal entries from Canada, Australia, as well as across the United States. The total of countries over the life of the event is fifty-nine, including waters from Tasmania, Turkey, Bosnia, Greece, and New Zealand,” said Jill Klein Rone, event producer.
Sparkling Water Winners
The Sparkling Water winners came from three continents. The Gold Medal went to previous Silver medalist Otakiri Reserve Sparkling, Otakiri, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand. Silver this year went to multi-medalist, Castle Rock Water, Mount Shasta, California. Bronze was a new entry, Little Hampton Sparkling, Doveton, Victoria, Australia. Fourth and fifth were returning favorites, with Aqua To Go Sparkling, Doveton, Victoria, Australia in 4th and Theoni Carbonated Natural Mineral Water, Karditsa, Greece in 5th.
Fifty-nine countries, including waters from Tasmania, Turkey, Bosnia, Greece, and New Zealand, have entered the Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting contest since its founding in 1991.
Purifed Water Winners
Last year’s 4th place winner, Mountain Springs Spring Water, St Kitts & Nevis, West Indies, took home its first Gold in the Purified Water category. Multi-medalist LeSage Natural Water, Lesage, West Virginia, added another Silver Medal to its collection, and were present to accept the award. Bronze was given to Norland Pure Premium Enhanced Water, Lincoln, Nebraska, who were also present. Last year’s Gold Medalist placed 4th this year, Taifer Group 100% Deep Ocean Water, Hualien City, Taiwan, and in 5th place was another multi-medalist, Berkeley Springs Water, “Ye Famed Springs” Berkeley Springs, West Virginia.
“It was another wonderful year for the largest and longest running water tasting in the world,” said von Wiesenberger. “Berkeley Springs is the Olympics of water.” He also praised the selection of the Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Marc Edwards, a University Professor of Civil Engineering whose research group conducted the investigative science uncovering the 2001 to 2004 DC Lead Crisis and the 2014 to 2016 Flint Water Disaster. He also welcomed participation of the award sponsorship by Tesanjski kiseljak and company Zema d.o.o from Tesanj, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
People’s Choice Package Design Winners
Winner Markell Boulis, Hydra Greek Island Springs, Jill Klein Rone (left), and Arthur von Wiesenberger. Photo by Happy Rone.
Online voting for the People’s Choice package design was initiated in 2021. The packaging category had 11 entrants competing for most alluring. The distinctive can featuring a wooly mammoth from Wilderness Mountain Water Company, Bland, Virginia, earned the Gold Medal on its first time entering the contest, and had representatives on hand to accept the award. HYDRA Greek Island Springs, Chania, Greece, with its blue plastic bottle with the diamond design took Silver. The cobalt blue bottle from Saratoga Spring Water, Foster Township, Pennsylviania, won Bronze. Clearly Canadian Sparkling, Marchand, MAN, Canada and Pirenco Patagonia Agua Mineral Natural Artesian Water, Chubut, Argentina placed 4th and 5th.
Conclusion of the daylong water tasting is the famed “water rush” where the audience is invited to take home hundreds of bottles of water sent as part of the judging. While it takes hours to arrange the bottles, the crowd spent less than 10 minutes making it all disappear. “We were pleased to see our favorite couple from Brooklyn in the rush. Peter and Cynthia Lloyd come every year especially for the water tasting—and the rush,” said Klein Rone.
The 11 media judges selected by Klein Rone included representatives from West Virginia Public Broadcasting and Insider’s Guide to Spas, as well as various regional and national media including newspapers, websites, blogs, and online and print magazines. They were trained by von Wiesenberger to look, sniff, and taste each water under guidelines similar to those in a wine tasting. The waters were rated for each attribute including appearance (it should be clear, or slightly opaque for glacial waters), aroma (there should be none), taste (it should taste clean), mouth feel (it should feel light), aftertaste (it should leave you thirsty for more).
The judges’ job is crucial, and so is their training. All judges are presented with a diploma designating them as a Certified Water Taster.
The event was produced by Travel Berkeley Springs, with support from Host Bottler, Floridian Spring Water, Inc. The 35th annual Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting is scheduled for Saturday, February 22, 2025.