BERKELEY SPRINGS, W.Va. — The Country Inn in Berkeley Springs was flush with excitement during the 33rd annual Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting over the weekend.
Touted as the world’s most prestigious, longest running water tasting, the competition presented awards Saturday to waters from four continents. Five continents had waters among the nearly 100 entered, according to producer Jill Klein Rone.
“People send us their water and some of the representatives with that water and we had representatives from the Republic of Korea, which actually placed in the top 5,” Rone told the Panhandle News Network.
Water is tasted in four categories including municipal, bottled non-carbonated, sparkling and purified and there’s a People’s Choice Award.
Ahead of the finals on Saturday, Project WET – Water Education Today – presented a seminar entitled “Water: Beneath the Surface and Around the Globe.”
In addition, Tomi Bergstrom, Western Watershed Basin and Project Coordinator with the WV DEP – Watershed Improvement Branch – was part of a team that visited Paw Paw and Pleasant View Elementary Schools Thursday.
Among the nine member judges panel, made up of members of the media, were hosts of Panhandle Live on WEPM/WCST The Panhandle News Network, Jordan Nicewarner and Marsha Chwalik.
Following the awards was the annual “Water Rush” in which those in attendance could rush forward to the staging area and help themselves to bottles of water that were part of this year’s competition. Participants had to sign a waiver.
Best Municipal Water 2023
1st – Clearbrook, BC, Canada
2nd – North Muskoka, ON, Canada
3rd – St Paris, OH, USA
Tie 4th – Miryang-si, Gyeongsangnam-do, Republic of Korea
Tie 4th – Emporia, KS
5th – Eldorado Springs, CO
Best Non-carbonated Water 2023
1st – Smeraldina Natural Artesian Water, Monti di Deu, Sardina, Italy
2nd – Hope Natural Spring Water, Halifax County, VA
3rd – Jano, Village-Blanchard, NB, Canada
4th – Floridian Spring Water, Ocala, FL
5th – Vortex Energy, Meriden, CT
Best Sparkling Water – 2023
1st – Dijamant Carbonated Mineral Water, Tešanj, Bosnia & Herzegowina
2nd – Antipodes Water, Otakiri, Whakatane, New Zealand
3rd – Cedea Sparkling Mineral Water, Dolomites, Italy
4th – Boston Clear Water, Lynnfield, MA
5th – Theoni Natural Mineral Water, Karditsa, Greece
Best Purified Water 2023
Tie 1st – Taifer Group 100% Deep Ocean Water, Hualien City, Taiwan
Tie 1st – Taiwan Yes Alkaline Minerals Deep Ocean Water, Hualien City, Taiwan
2nd – Atomy 100% Deep Ocean Water, Hualien City, Taiwan
3rd – VIBRANT WTR®, Hamilton, OH
4th – Mountain Springs, St Kitts and Nevis, West Indies
5th – Lesage Natural, Lesage, WV
People’s Choice Package Design – 2023
1st – Antipodes Water, Otakiri, Whakatane, New Zealand
2nd – Amamizu Water, Fukui City, Japan
3rd – Clearly Canadian, Marchand, Manitoba, Canada