If you have ever lingered over the drink menu at a good restaurant you know it’s meant to be perused. Reds and whites are broken out by region, grape, and vintage. Cocktails built with intention from specific ingredients. Sometimes even curated lists of non-alcoholic options.
And then there’s water.
Historically the question has been pretty simple: still or sparkling?
But that’s starting to change.
Fine dining restaurants, hospitality and wellness focused venues are rolling out water menus, giving guests the ability to choose their water based on origin, flavor, mineral profile, and even food pairing. Some restaurants are going one step further by employing water sommeliers to guide guests to new selections the same way they would with wine. If the concept sounds unfamiliar at first, stop and think about what else we’ve come to appreciate on menus.
For example, at Gwen in Los Angeles, water sommelier Martin Riese curates a dedicated menu of waters from around the world, with selections described by origin, minerality and flavor profile. The Inn at Little Washington has expanded the concept with a dedicated water menu and guided “Waters of the World” tastings led by water sommelier Cameron Smith. And at Remedy Place, the idea moves beyond fine dining into wellness hospitality, with a water-sommelier-curated bottle service menu available at its social wellness clubs.
We know that wine can taste different based on where it’s from, how the grapes are grown, how it’s made. Coffee has regions and tasting notes. Olive oil has harvests and provenance. Tea even has regionalidentity.
Why wouldn’t water have a story, too?
Water is literally living its life within the environment around it. Spring water, artesian water, volcanic water, or glacial water can each have a distinct mineral makeup and sensory profile, based on the conditions where they’re sourced. That translates into differences you can taste and feel when you take a sip.
Some have crisp, delicate flavors or even a sweetness or bitterness to them. Others are more mineral-forward, structured, or even naturally effervescent. Some pair beautifully with food, while others are best enjoyed on their own.
It turns out water can be pretty interesting.
Many restaurants have experimented with water menus over the years, but the concept is gaining new interest as the dining-out experience continues to evolve. Ray’s & Stark Bar in Los Angeles helped bring the idea into the spotlight in 2013, when water sommelier Martin Riese created a 20-water menu representing 10 countries, complete with tasting notes, mineral content and suggested food pairings. In Galicia, Spain, O Lar do Leitóntakes the concept even further with more than 150 waters from 33 countries and food-and-water pairing recommendations built into its menu. Together, these programs treat H₂O as more than something to lazily put on the table, highlighting it as a beverage worth exploring in its own right.
In addition, there’s one more reason we think now is the right time for water menus.
These days people are reconsidering alcohol than ever before. That doesn’t always mean they’re skipping it out on nights out. Increasingly, they’re simply looking for something they want to drink. Something that will be paired with food. Something that feels special enough to slow down and actually pay attention to. Water can be that thing.
We’ve always known where our water comes from matters. Splendor’s Volcanic Artesian Water is sourced from a single- source artesian aquifer deep in the La Maná cloud forests of Ecuador. It travels naturally underground through volcanic rock made from minerals found in Cotopaxi region and is bottled at source. That journey results in a naturally low mineral profile giving it a smooth, clean flavor. But it also means Water has a story that begins long before it arrives to your glass.
Water menus let us share that story. And that’s exciting.
Water menus encourage us to look at water as more than an afterthought. Instead of asking if you want still or sparkling, maybe your server starts a conversation about your water preferences. Maybe you try a water you wouldn’t normally select, because you’re curious to know more about where it came from and how it tastes. Maybe you discover you have a favorite. Maybe you find yourself waxing poetic about water with the person sitting across from you at dinner.
We don’t need to make it complicated or stuffy. Explore a few bottles. Ask your questions. Be present for the answer. After all, isn’t that what we love about food and drink in the first place? We want to know its story. Where it’s from. How it was made. We want to taste the difference all those factors make. We want to try something new.
So, the next time someone walks your table and asks, “Still or sparkling?” you never know. You might also ask… Where’s it from? What does it taste like? What’s the story? And most importantly, which one sounds good to you?
Water has always been part of the table. It’s about time we started paying it some attention.
Hydrate Your Soul.