Still waters may run deep, but that doesn’t mean they all taste the same. Every February, visitors descend on the historic spa town of Berkeley Springs to put H₂O to the test at the International Water Tasting competition. This winter, February 20–22, the contest celebrates its thirty-fifth anniversary, once again gathering judges to sip, savor, and rank entries from around the globe in what organizers call the world’s longest-running and most prestigious water rating event, with categories that include municipal, purified, and sparkling. Since the event’s start, tastings have been led by Arthur von Wiesenberger, an industry consultant who has written three books on bottled water and serves as the event’s Water Master. “Our goal is to celebrate water that tastes great,” he says, with evaluators scrutinizing entries for appearance, aroma, mouthfeel, taste, and aftertaste. There’s also a public tasting, which culminates in a “water rush,” when attendees are let loose on a giant display of bottles provided by the competing water companies. “People bring their bags and boxes,” says event organizer Jill Klein Rone. “We do the countdown, and in a matter of minutes, all that water is gone.”
Southern Agenda