Google Berkeley Springs Water Tasting for hundreds of press mentions from all over the US and around the world.

2024 Water Tasting February 23-25, 2024

Winners 91-2023

 

WATER FACTOIDS

  • Water is everywhere, covering 3/4 of the planet’s surface.
  • 97% of the Earth’s water is salt water and over 2% is polluted or part of the ice cap, leaving less than 2% available for human use.
  • Water cleanses, comforts and heals.
  • An indispensable nutrient, it makes up most of human body weight.
  • 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated.
  • A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math and difficulty focusing on the computer screen and/or on a printed page.
  • Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79% and one is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer.
  • 84% of Americans feel the pollution of water is a major problem.
  • United Nations’ International Decade for Action, Water for Life ~ Celebrated in Berkeley Springs February 24-27, 2011. 

33rd ANNUAL BERKELEY SPRINGS INTERNATIONAL WATER TASTING
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ~ February 10, 2023
Travel Berkeley Springs – Berkeley Springs, West Virginia
1-304-258-9147 •  www.berkeleysprings.com
Press Contact only: Jill Klein Rone ~ 304-258-3302

PHOTOS AVAILABLE ON REQUEST

February 23 – 25, 2023

BERKELEY SPRINGS, WV – The Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting welcomes waters from fourteen countries, and states from California to Florida on Saturday, February 25. Held at The Country Inn in the historic spa town of Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, it is the largest and longest-running water tasting in the world, dubbed by BuzzFeed and The Week “the world’s most prestigious water tasting.”

Tasting of municipal waters, followed by purified drinking waters begins at 2:30pm. Non-carbonated bottled and sparkling waters are tasted at 6:30pm. Winners in all categories are announced at 8:30pm. Handcrafted glass water drops, created by West Virginia’s Appalachian Glass, are presented as awards.

More than 735 distinct waters have entered over the life of the event, coming from all over the United States and from as far away as Greece, New Zealand, Tajikistan and Japan. Entries from 59 countries, DC and all but three states have been represented since the beginning in 1991. “The impact of winning this event is extraordinary for a bottler,” said Jill Klein Rone, event producer.  “Many have experienced exponential growth, others closed major deals, and almost all winners redesign their labels to display their winning medal.”

A distinguished panel of media judges determines the official winners, but there is a role for the public. All day Saturday, they taste water along with the judges. Most importantly, the public votes for the People’s Choice Award for best packaging. “How the product looks and grabs attention has become ever more important as the bottled water industry continues to grow,” said Klein Rone. “There are well over 600 brands of bottled water.”

Project WET – Water Education Today, will have 3 displays, 2 of which are self-guided, set up Friday, during the seminar from 1–5pm and Saturday afternoon and evening. They are the Enviroscape, Incredible Journey (water cycle), and Drop in the Bucket. They will also visit Paw Paw and Pleasant View Elementary Schools on Thursday, February 23.

“The real excitement for the audience comes at the conclusion,” she explains. “Once the awards are presented, we stage the now world-famous ‘water rush’ where folks scramble to take home some of the hundreds of bottles of water that have been used for display.” The “water rush” was highlighted by cable television’s Games Across America

For the third year, the public can vote online for the People’s Choice package design.  Voting begins February 11 and goes until February 25 at 8pm.  Anyone, anywhere can vote by going to www.berkeleysprings.com.

Watermaster Arthur von Wiesenberger, noted expert and author from Santa Barbara, CA, trains the media judges and directs the challenge of evaluating a product where tastelessness is the most sought-after quality. The unique event, dubbed the “granddaddy of water tastings,” by von Wiesenberger, is produced by Travel Berkeley Springs.

Judges include representatives from the Insider’s Guide to Spas, WV Public Broadcasting, DC News Now and ABC7-TV, Washington DC, as well as journalists and freelance writers whose work appears in the Washington Post, Smithsonian and Woman’s World Magazines, among others, as well as podcasts and blogs. The award-winning event was featured on a National Geographic Today television special as well as repeated documentaries, is a chapter in John Lingan’s book “Homeplace,” and has been named to various top event lists. It was voted runner-up for Weirdest Festival in the Blue Ridge.

“Water: Beneath the Surface and Around the Globe,” the event’s seminar, addresses industry issues on Friday February 24 from 1 – 5pm.  Topics include healthy hydration, along with the introduction of the Healthy Hydration Center; water education in West Virginia and nature based solutions to environmental problems. Both the seminar and Saturday night’s events are live-streamed on the BerkeleySpringsWV Facebook page.

Robert A. Smith, owner and CEO of Grand Springs Water, will receive the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award. He has been a very active member of the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) for many years and was inducted into the IBWA Hall of Fame in October 2022. He is a featured speaker at the seminar. Tesanjski kiseljak and company Zema d.o.o. from Tesanj, Bosnia and Herzegovina is the presenting sponsor of the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Special events and activities are everywhere in Morgan County Friday, February 24 through Sunday. For more information, call 304-258-9147 or check the award-winning Website — www.berkeleysprings.com.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ~ February 10, 2023
Travel Berkeley Springs – Berkeley Springs, West Virginia
1-304-258-9147 •  www.berkeleysprings.com
Press Contact only: Jill Klein Rone ~ 304-258-3302

PHOTOS AVAILABLE ON REQUEST

Seminar: Healthy Hydration and Education

BERKELEY SPRINGS, WV – The 33rd Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting begins with a seminar, Water: Beneath the Surface and Around the Globe on Friday, February 24 from 1 to 5pm at The Country Inn.  It is free and open to the public.

Kicking off the seminar, Meghan Gloyd, PE Senior Water Resources Engineer with Biohabitats, Inc, discusses nature-based solutions.  She has over fifteen years of experience in the holistic watershed and stormwater management, stream restoration design, hydrologic and hydraulic modeling, and the development of construction plans.

What does water education look like in West Virginia?  Tomi Bergstrom, Western Watershed Basin and Project WET (Water Education Today) Coordinator with the WV DEP – Watershed Improvement Branch, answers that question.

Project WET will have 3 displays – the Enviroscape, Incredible Journey (water cycle), and Drop in the Bucket set up Friday and Saturday. They will also visit Paw Paw and Pleasant View Elementary Schools on Thursday, February 23.

Next, 2023 Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting Lifetime Achievement Award winner, owner and CEO of Grand Springs Water, Robert A. Smith discusses the production of bottled water, a source for healthy hydration, and what makes it a safe choice for the consumer.

The second half of the seminar begins with a Zoom presentation introducing the Hydration Health Center. Colleen Muñoz, Ph.D., Co-Founder & Executive Director & Michael F. Bergeron, Ph.D, FACSM, Co-Founder & Senior Advisor of the Hydration Health Center discuss the novel research, educational, and advocacy center dedicated to investigating and promoting healthy hydration behaviors.

Recognizing the role of water in a healthy diet, President and CEO of the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA), Joe Doss, will speak about the efforts underway to revise Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Continuing audience and panel discussion of these and other vital water-related topics take place in the last hour of the seminar, moderated by global water expert, Henry R. “Bob” Hidell, III.

The two-day Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting hosts waters from fourteen countries and states from California to Florida, at The Country Inn on Friday and Saturday, February 24 and 25.  It is produced by Travel Berkeley Springs, with support from presenting sponsor, Tesanjski Kiseljak and company Zema d.o.o. from Tesanj, Bosnia and Herzegovina.  The seminar and Saturday’s award ceremony are live streamed on the BerkeleySpringsWV Facebook page.  For more information call 304-258-9147 or check the award winning website—www.BerkeleySprings.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ~ February 10, 2023
Travel Berkeley Springs – Berkeley Springs, West Virginia
1-304-258-9147 •  www.berkeleysprings.com
Press Contact only: Jill Klein Rone ~ 304-258-3302

PHOTOS AVAILABLE ON REQUEST

Project WET visits Morgan County

BERKELEY SPRINGS, WV – Project WET – Water Education Today – is a presenter at the seminar: Water: Beneath the Surface and Around the Globe on Friday, February 24 from 1 to 5pm at The Country Inn, kicking off the 33rd Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting. It is free and open to the public.

What does water education look like in West Virginia?  Tomi Bergstrom, Western Watershed Basin and Project Coordinator with the WV DEP – Watershed Improvement Branch – answers that question.

Representing the Youth Environmental Program, Tomi and her team will visit Paw Paw and Pleasant View Elementary Schools on February 23. They will work with several grades within each school, with visits to Paw Paw in the morning and Pleasant View in the afternoon.  Several activities from the Project WET Curriculum and Activity Guide 2.0 will be utilized, so students may investigate their local water resource, but also explore how water connects everyone across the planet.

Project WET will have 3 displays at The Country Inn, 2 of which are self-guided – the Enviroscape, Incredible Journey (water cycle), and Drop in the Bucket – set up Friday, from 1 – 5pm and Saturday from 2 – 5pm.

“I’m very excited about this!” said water tasting producer, Jill Klein Rone. “I also coordinate school programs for Morgan Arts Council, so I was able to combine my two jobs to create an immersive experience for the county. I hope lots of people come see and interact with the displays at The Country Inn. And while they are there, they can sample the waters that the judges are tasting, and vote for their favorite package design!”

Voting is also available at BerkeleySprings.com beginning February 11.

The two-day Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting hosts waters from fourteen countries, as far away as Australia and New Zealand, and eighteen states, from California to Florida at The Country Inn on Friday and Saturday, February 24 and 25.  It is produced by Travel Berkeley Springs, with support from presenting sponsor, Tesanjski Kiseljak and company Zema d.o.o. from Tesanj, Bosnia and Herzegovina.  The seminar and Saturday’s award ceremony are live streamed on the BerkeleySpringsWV Facebook page.  For more information call 304-258-9147 or check the award winning website—www.BerkeleySprings.com

 

Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting Lifetime Achievement Award for on-going distinguished contributions to the bottled water industry was given for the first time in 2012.

BERKELEY SPRINGS 2023 INTERNATIONAL WATER TASTING LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
TO BE AWARDED TO Robert A. Smith

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lifetime Achievement Award 2022: Shayron Barnes-Selby

Lifetime Achievement Award 2021: Jeanne Mozier

Lifetime Achievement Award 2020: Arthur von Wiesenberger

Lifetime Achievement Award 2019: Joe Doss

Lifetime Achievement Award 2018: Jane Lazgin

Lifetime Achievement Award 2017: J. Scott Shipe

Lifetime Achievement Award 2015: Jack C. West

Lifetime Achievement Award 2014: Dian Taylor

Lifetime Achievement Award 2013: Henry R. Hidell, III

Lifetime Achievement Award 2012: James M. Stevens, Sr.

The Golden Award of Excellence 2012: Kunlun Mountains Natural Mineral Water