27/02/2012 By Peter Brooks
We make no bones about our passion for water here at Office Water Coolers. The wonders of this life giving substance are boundless. Indeed, its unique chemical properties are the reason we are even here at all. But there are some out there that take this passion to a whole new scale. Welcome to the world of the water sommeliers and premium mineral waters.
In much the same way as a sommelier will judge the right wine to go with the right food, a water sommelier will judge the perfect type of water to go with your meal. The decisions he and she will make will depend on the subtlety of flavours on offer and even if you are drinking wine with your meal as well. As finewaters.com’s Michael Mascha states on his website ‘with the growing popularity of bottled water and Mineral Water, the FineWaters Balance provides a scale to define the differences between various bottled waters based on carbonation levels.’ Here is a man who treats his water in the same way that many people treat their wine.
The belief that water, like wine, should perfectly compliment a meal is all part of the epicurean belief in fine dining and is one held strongly by Michael. His FineWaters Balance is a wonderful illustration of this intricate science, a fascinating insight into the subtle nuances of different types of mineral water carbonation and how they complement different types of food. I was fascinated by it and recommend having a read yourself (it really is a science). From still, effervescent and light waters through to classic and bold waters where you can expect ‘large and loud bubbles’, which are ‘perfect with crispy appetizers’ apparently.
Often sold exclusively to fine dining restaurants and upmarket hotels in stylish glass bottles, the premium water market is one which many of us will rarely experience as consumers. Many of the waters are high in mineral content and many more are naturally carbonated, things it seems many people would pay a premium for. Whilst this is a world away from our ethos of affordable excellent quality spring water and water coolers, I for one salute these connoisseurs of fine water.
© 2012 Office Water Coolers
Consider this; recycling a single large plastic bottle (made
from PET) conserves enough energy to light a 60 watt bulb for 6 hours. The National
Association for PET Container Resources (NAPCOR) reported that in 2010 1.5
billion pounds of PET was recycled in America.
Recycled PET (rPET) can be made into all sorts of things like car parts,
playground equipment, carpet or even clothing.
Now consider this; in America (and I daresay the figures are
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Good news for the bottled water industry as it reports a 2.8%
increase in sales in 2011 (1.8 billion litres). As an industry that employs two
thousand people it is good news in these economically trying times as the UK officially
enters a double dip recession. So with unemployment remaining high and when
people are cutting back on so much, saving their pennies, why does the bottled
water industry grow when compared to 2010.
Well it seems there are a lot of other factors at play.
UK households ...
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Flamboyant Venezuelan president, Hugo Chavez, has started
announcing more price caps as part of his government’s Law of Fair Prices,
passed back in November 2011. The law was designed to limit what is seen as
excessive profiteering on 19 household goods and groceries but is now being
expanded as the government announce new prices for different products and it is
starting with bottled water and deodorant.
The books of over 16,000 companies have been examined by
the Venezuelan government so far ...
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What is polyethylene terephthalate? Well chances are you’ve
encountered it already today if you’ve swigged from a bottle of water or any of
a whole range of bottled drinks. Abbreviated to PET, polyethylene terephthalate
is probably most associated with the packaging for plastic bottles due to its
properties as an excellent and durable barrier material. The thermoplastic
polymer is part of the polyester family and can exist in both amorphous
(transparent) and as a semicrystalline polymer which ...
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