A Watershed Moment for Water Brands, Expert Water Reviews Announced

CHICAGO, Aug. 20, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The oldest wine, beer, and spirits competition in the United States, conducted by Beverage Testing Institute, has just published the results its first annual World Water Championships on Tastings.com. All water styles from pure spring water to refreshing mineral water, functional waters to Instagramable flavored-fizzers were critically evaluated by the 39-year-old beverage research institution. Expert reviews of boutique, artisanal products have equal footing next to some of the biggest names in the industry. From Dasani to the Dolomiti, water reviews are on Tastings.com, the consumer-trusted beverage brand amplification platform.

Coca Cola brands floated to the top of the highball competition and water review. Schweppes Club Soda was the highest scoring water cresting at an astounding 95 points. Schweppes and Canada Dry also performed well in the highball competition taking silver and bronze respectively. Topo Chico, acquired by Coca Cola in 2017, was crowned 2019's Best Club Soda for a Highball by the expert panel of influential bartenders and on-premise buyers. "The cocktail bar is a very important market for cocktail-worthy water brands, so what bartenders think of these brands matters. The competition for bartender headspace is fiercer than ever. The winners of BTI's highball competition truly have something to brag about," says Jerald O'Kennard, director of the institute.

Top honors for quality in the flavored sparkling water category went to a trending flavor that speaks to the current market's penchant for the new and innovative. National Beverage Corporation's LaCroix Passionfruit Sparkling Water was the highest scoring flavored sparkling water at a whopping 93 points, closely followed by Perrier Peach and Target's private label line's Simply Balanced Ginger Peach Sparkling Water. Simply Balanced was called "the richly flavored sparkling water for refined palates", an impressive endorsement for the brand. San Pellegrino Essenza Lemon & Lemon Zest was awarded 91 points and was called, "A zesty and well-balanced flavored sparkling water with an all-natural appeal." Voss Strawberry Ginger Flavored Sparkling Water proved to be "category-elevating" and received 90 points.

Cedea, a frizzante spring water from the Dolomites region in Italy, is an independent silver medal-winning water worth seeking out. Touted as "A clean, palate-cleansing sparkling water with great minerality and a frizzante-style spritz," this beautifully packaged water is artisanal brand that's driven by quality. The widely recognized spring water, Evian, took the top-rated slot in the still spring water category at 92 points.

It's important to keep in mind that with so many bottles to choose from, consumers consistently seek out ratings and reviews before making purchasing decisions. Beverage Testing Institute is proud to now offer independent reviews of water brands as they've done for alcohol beverage brands for 39 years. Each Tastings.com recommended product is easily searchable and has its own unique review page. A "Buy It" button on each recommended product's page effortlessly links consumers to ecommerce buying options. For a complete list of winners and your definitive water buying guide visit Tastings.com.

Media Contact:
Laura Kruming-Berg
[email protected] 
773-930-4080

SOURCE Beverage Testing Institute

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