The Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting awarded their top honors for best tasting waters from four continents this week.
The municipal water category saw entries from three continents. Gold went to Clearbrook, BC, Canada. Silver medal was won by first-time entry South Muskoka, ON, Canada. Bronze medal was won by St. Paris, Ohio. Finally, there was a tie for fourth place, between former gold medalist Emporia, Kansas and first-time entry Miryang-si, Gyeongsangnam-do, Republic of Korea. The City of Emporia is the only top five finisher that utilizes a river for source water.
Nine media judges spent hours tasting and selecting from waters sourced in eighteen states, three Canadian provinces and fourteen foreign countries. The nine media judges, selected by Klein Rone, included representatives from ABC7-TV, Washington, DC and Insider’s Guide to Spas, as well as various regional and national media including newspapers, websites, and online and print magazines. They were trained by von Wiesenberger to look, smell, and taste each water under guidelines like those in a wine tasting. The waters were rated for each attribute including appearance (it should be clear - or slightly opaque for glacial waters), aroma (there should be none), taste (it should taste clean), mouth feel (it should feel light), aftertaste (it should leave you thirsty for more).
For more information, please contact the City of Emporia Water Treatment Plant at 620-340-6370.
Full list of Municipal Water Entries:
Berkeley Springs, WV
Belmont County, OH
Cheongju, Chungcheongbuk-do Republic of Korea
Clearbrook, BC Canada
Desert Hot Springs, CA
Eldorado Springs, CO
Emporia, KS
Fort Detrick, MD
Fort Wayne, IN
Hamilton, OH
Healesville, Victoria, Australia
Independence, MO
Kent, OH
Lansing, MI
Lyon Township, MI
Miryang-si, Gyeongsangnam-do Republic of Korea
North Muskoka, ON, Canada
Santa Ana, CA
Seongnam, Gyeonggi-do Republic of Korea
South Muskoka, ON, Canada
St. Henry, OH
St. Paris, OH
USAG Fort Detrick, MD
West Muskoka, ON, Canada