This is the latest installment from Foodie Underground.
A new year, a new chance for greatness. You're a couple of days into your resolutions by now, if you've made them. You open the refrigerator and glare at the reserve bottle of rosé. But no, you will not succumb to cravings, for in the new year, you're going to want to skip out on the notes of raspberry and oak and opt for undertones of liquid and wet instead.
Recently, I found myself at a sparkling water party, featuring the bubbles of three different continents and some 10 countries. Though the event was to raise funds for a good cause, the environmentalist in me couldn't help but cringe, and not just when the bubbles tickled my nose. On the other hand, or perhaps I should say in the other hand, the foodie in me giggled!
Specialty sparkling water has taken the same route as wine did in the days when shoulder pads were still acceptable in the workplace, leaving longtime favorites Perrier and San Pellegrino in the dust. Still on the green bottles? You might as well be chugging Two Buck Chuck.
It's time for a change, and change this year is going to start with your sparkling water cellar. Isn't that refreshing? It could also be cooling, or even energizing. At the very least, it will add some effervescence to your everyday routine.
The possibilities with sparkling water are endless, and unlike its sparkling alcoholic counterpart, it won't leave you with a headache. Besides, Paris puts it in their water fountains. Sort of socialist, really, but the idea is still nice.
With a nose for bubbling trends, trust Foodie Underground to guide you through the business of consuming packaged, pricey water with only the most prudent use of puns:
More From the Foodie Underground:
10 Ways to Improve Your Food Porn Skills
What Kind of Foodie Are You?
20 Terms for the Foodie Vocabulary
What Makes a Sustainable Winery?
10 Facts About World Water Use
This is the latest installment of Anna Brones's weekly column at EcoSalon, Foodie Underground, discovering what's new and different in the underground food movement, from supper clubs to mini markets to the culinary avant garde.
Follow Anna Brones on Twitter: www.twitter.com/annabrones
I like Calistoga, San Pelegrino (my water of choice), and Gewurztameiner (found at Big Lots, comes from Germany).
I have found that by mixing it with my favorite drink concentrate (Gatorade or Market Pantry "Crystal Light" analogue), it gives the mixture a nice, fizzy zip.
I will not drink Perrier under ANY circumstances.
Store brand Club Soda if need be.
--RKJ
Where I grew up it was understood that many different waters have different tastes, but as Anthony Bourdain said: "When I'm dining and I'm approached by the Water Sommelier, it kind of takes the fun out of everything."
Reading things like "Water is not water, its a natural product like wine" I realize how far we have yet to go with this food revolution I've been hearing about for 50 years. Heaven save us from "foodies". Now, what's for dinner?
You'll occasionally have to purchase replacement gas canisters for the SodaStream, the frequency depending on how much carbonated water you consume, at $15 a refill. They're typically available at numerous retail locations in urban areas. The Britta filters are widely available and are inexpensive.
It's an excellent way to have high quality, carbonated water always on hand, at a very reasonable costs. And you're not going through countless plastic and glass bottles. I've tried just about all of those "sparkling water" products discussed in this article and I'm convinced that the SodaStream , with the water filtration device, makes a better product for far less. It really works, and quite well. And, no, I don't own any SoadStream stock, though that company just recently went public and I wouldn't at all be surprised if it was a good buy.
"water is not water" has to be the dumbest statement I've heard in a while
I find it difficult to believe that if you did a blind taste test with sparking water that you would get anyone who would be able to distinguish between different brands - unlike wine.