BottledWater

Will The Water Bobble Turn Us Into Tap Water Drinkers?

There's no denying the fact that the bottled water industry is a behemoth. Fancy water is everywhere, in fact one of the top restaurants in Los Angeles, The Bazaar by José Andrés has unveiled a fancy water menu. But could a new water bottle have us heading back to the tap? The Water Bobble is a water bottle made of recycled plastic in a cute shape, courtesy of designer Karim Rashid, and six fashion colors. But what makes it tap friendly is a carbon filter that meets or exceeds NSF International Standard 42, the standard that governs public and private drinking water. The filter should be replaced every two months or after filtering around 40 gallons of water. It sells for $9.95 and will be available from March 1 in multiple retail outlets, including Bed Bath & Beyond, JC Penney, Whole Foods and many others.

Tags: bottled water, BottledWater, karim rashid, KarimRashid, water bobble, water bottle, WaterBobble, WaterBottle

What's in a Name: Understanding the Classifications of Bottled Water

by Deb West (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

There has been a proliferation of bottled waters on store shelves and in restaurants. There are differences, whether you can taste them or not, and the industry is tightly regulated by both the FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) and the IBWA (International Bottled Water Association).

The FDA determined standards of identity to help classify the different types of bottled water. A basic summary of the classifications follow:

Spring water which comes from a natural underground source and from which the water flows to the surface of the earth.
Purified water where the water has been produced by a process that is defined by the United States. These processes can include but are not limited to distilling and reverse osmosis.
Mineral water which is described by having naturally occurring dissolved solids (minerals and trace elements) at the minimum rate of 250 parts per million. This means the minerals or other solids can not be added later.
Sparkling water is allowed to have carbon dioxide added or other treatment to retain the same level of carbonation it had at the original source.
Artesian water which is water taken from a specific height above an aquifer.
Well water which is self explanatory, just like our backyards it is water that comes from a hole drilled or bored in the ground.

Soda water, seltzer and tonic water are classified as soft drinks and are regulated differently.

If you think that the different brands of bottled water taste differently it is not your imagination run amok. While many of us are influenced by the design of the bottle itself, if you listen to your taste buds carefully, you might learn to discern which of the bottled waters you prefer and why.

According to industry experts, the mineral content, both amount and types as well as PH, and the level of carbonation effect the taste of a given brand of bottled water. High TDS (total dissolved solids) in mineral water as well as the amount of specific minerals such as salt, may also effect ones perception of the taste. Obviously the size of the bubbles in carbonated water influences the way it feels in your mouth, just as it does in champagne.

Speaking of champagne, a fun idea is to conduct your own bottled water tasting. Look for waters from different regions, aquifers, rain water, mineral waters and even tap water for comparison. The best part is that there is no right or wrong just what you prefer!

Tags: bottled water, BottledWater, FDA, IBWA, mineral water, MineralWater, sparkling water, SparklingWater

Paul Smith Limited Edition Evian Bottle

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Celebrity Design

Evian Natural Spring Water has partnered with brilliant British fashion designer Sir Paul Smith on a new limited edition bottle (above). The bottle is adorned in vibrant colors with a festive theme and a nod to Smith's signature stripes. It's also designed to echo Evian's latest youth-oriented ad campaign, "Live Young". Smith's design is the third in a series of designer bottles commissioned by the classic spring water from the French Alps, following one by Christian Lacroix in 2008 and last year's model by Jean Paul Gaultier. Smith's bottle comes with five different collectible caps. "Youth is not just a question of age, it's also a question of attitude," Smith notes. The bottles are available for pre-sale now on www.ShopEvian.com, and will make their way to fine dining establishments and gourmet retailers nationwide beginning in November.

Tags: bottled water, BottledWater, British fashion, BritishFashion, Evian, French Alps, FrenchAlps, Paul Smith, PaulSmith, spring water, SpringWater

The Hostess Gift for 2009: The Personalized Wine Bottle

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

Sometimes it's hard to know what to get the host or hostess of a party. Wine? Or is a card more personal?

Fortunately, we live in a world where you can combine the two ideas. In December, we saw Moet & Chandon offer personalized bottles via their NYC boutique, and at SignatureWines.com, you can get personalized bottles of wine, champange, water, and even gift sets and accessories.

Thank You, Congratulations, Good Luck, and Drink Me are all appropriate sentiments, and enhanced when you include both your name and the name of your host.

Prices at Signature Wines are surprisingly affordable; they start at $8 per bottle (and no, you don't have to order a whole case). Click through the gallery to see some of the lovely design templates they offer -- or you can upload your own, even with photographs! The bottles usually ship in three days.

Tags: bottled drinks, bottled water, BottledDrinks, BottledWater, bottles, champagne, gifts, host gifts, HostGifts, moet, moet and chandon, personalized, signature wines, wine

Luxury Bottled Rainwater from Tasmania "Never Touches the Ground"

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Green

Tasmanian Rain, the premium bottled rainwater from Tasmania, is now available for home delivery and at certain luxury hotels here in advance of its official U.S. launch next year.

The remote Australian island where it originates has the cleanest air on the planet according to the World Meteorological Organization, which is important since Tasmanian Rain never touches the ground.

The company says that gives it an edge in purity over any spring water, which can contain contaminants as a result of human byproducts that cannot be completely filtered out. Furthermore, Tasmanian Rain is a carbon neutral company, and only bottles their water in 100% recyclable glass.

So far it's been picked by several Ritz-Carlton hotels for their VIP suites, the Trump International in Chicago and Las Vegas, the Tides and The Biltmore hotels in Miami and the Four Seasons in Jackson Hole.

Tasmanian Rain is also about to launch in Dubai at the Jumeirah Hotel Group. Home delivery prices are $60 for a case of 12 750 ml bottles and $75 for a case of 24 375 ml bottles, available for order here.

Tags: Australia, Bottled water, BottledWater, Dubai, Four Seasons, FourSeasons, Ritz-Carlton, Tasmania, Tasmanian Rain, TasmanianRain

Evian Les Petits Natural Spring Water

by Tracy Chait (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Yachts & Sailing, Children

Evian has launched a new, smaller bottle of water -- with kid-friendly graphics and a reminder to moms that a few laps around the playground do leave Junior rather parched. The 330 mL mini bottle was designed to fit neatly into a kid's lunchbox, a child's grip and the back to school shopping list. The six-pack of French Alps water has a suggested retail price of $5.99 and will arrive on shelves this month.

[Thanks Yogesh]

Source

Tags: bottled water, BottledWater, evian, evian les petites, EvianLesPetites, lunchbox

Aqua Pure Breed: Bottled Mountain Spring Dog Water

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Yachts & Sailing, Pets

We've covered bottled water for dogs before and apparently the trend is really taking off because now we're doing it again. Aqua Pure Breed is bottled mountain water for dogs that not only provides hydration but is also available in 4 different formulas to more personally meet your dog's healthy drinking needs. And Aqua Pure Breed promotes not only healthy drinking water for your pet but an overall healthy and active lifestyle by offering "Active Dog Guides" for major cities and they started the No Dog Left Behind program which encourages people to include their pet dogs into more areas of their lives. You can order online and get about a month's supply of water for $59.95.

Gallery: Aqua Pure Breed Bottled Dog Water

Source

Tags: aqua pure, aqua pure breed, AquaPure, AquaPureBreed, bottled water, BottledWater, dog, dogs, fortified water, FortifiedWater, pet, pets, water

Fillico Beverly Hills, $100 Bottled Water

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Yachts & Sailing

We've covered blinged up water before (literally) and the latest addition to the collection is Fillico Beverly Hills. Coming out of Japan, the $100 bottles of water are made of frosted glass with gold paint and Swarovski crystal accents -- and for about double the price you can add gold wings and/or a gold or silver crown to the bottle (shown is a set of "King and Queen").

Not sure why they put "Beverly Hills" in the name, though, since the water is from a spring in Kobe and as of now it is mostly being distributed at the Ritz Carlton in Tokyo.

Via LuxuryLaunches

Gallery: Fillico Beverly Hills