Clear Purpose; Handled with flair and forethought, water selections enhance beverage programs and profits

Cheers, June, 2008 by Thomas H. Strenk

"BOTTLED WATER IS THE NEXT WINE," exclaims Michael Mascha, consultant, author and publisher of finewaters.com. Restaurants are missing out on a huge opportunity if they don't "make water a distinguishing factor and provide more interesting choices," he says.

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Despite some controversy about bottled water purity and packaging (see sidebar), consumers continue to gravitate toward bottled water. Consumption and sales reached 8.8 billion gallons last year, a 6.9 percent increase, according to the International Bottled Water Association, based in Alexandria, Va. Per-capita consumption now is at a record 29.3 gallons, and wholesale dollar sales hit $11.7 billion, a jump of 7.8 percent.

Given the volume, and the fact that selling bottled water delivers incremental profits, it's not surprising that many restaurants are cashing in on the rising tide. In fact, many cutting-edge restaurants now are menuing broader selections and even merchandising and pairing water with food.

Such operators are managing the category with the same attention they give the rest of their beverage program: selecting and sourcing the right number and styles to achieve their objectives, merchandising and presenting bottled water offerings with thought and flair and, most importantly, matching the waters' styles to the culinary style of the menu.

In fact, a growing number of high-end establishments now make bottled water the focus of their beverage program--and even their theme. Water Works Restaurant and Lounge in Philadelphia offers 45 waters from all over the globe. It's a natural fit for the two-year-old venue located in a historic municipal water station dating from the early 1800s.

"You'll see the bottles on almost every table," says Leonidas Agorastos, a partner in the restaurant. He estimates 95 percent of customers order bottled water.

GOING TO THE SOURCE

With a name like H2(eau), bottled water also is a natural for the poolside restaurant in the just-opened Trump International Hotel & Tower Las Vegas. More than a dozen waters are exhibited at the restaurant's water bar, including Tasmanian Rain, San Benedetto, Fine from Japan, Vichy Catalan, Tau from Wales, Bling [H.sub.2]0 and, of course, Trump Ice, a proprietary spring water.

Developing such a varied list means going beyond the usual broad-line distributors. Water Works' Agorastos sources from four distributors, including Aqua Maestro, which specializes in waters. H2 (eau) also works with Aqua Maestro, among others.

However broad the water selection, presentation is key. "Much like with wine, we do a table presentation with bottled water," notes Patrick Emerson, wine and beverage director for Charleston, S.C.-based Maverick Southern Kitchens. The four-restaurant group offers Montefiore from Italy and Voss from Norway. Emerson encourages his staff to leave the bottle on the table to encourage consumption and provide a merchandising benefit. "Other guests see all these attractively packaged bottles on the tables and they order water, too."

"We serve all our bottled waters in crystal wine glasses," reports Melvin Talip, assistant manager at The Blvd in the Beverly Wilshire Beverly Hills, a Four Seasons hotel. Part of a separate Iced Tea and Water menu, The Blvd offers eight waters, including Evian, San Pellegrino, Perrier and Voss, each priced at $8. A new addition is Cape Grim, a Tasmanian rainwater that menus for $16.

"As soon as guests enter the restaurant, they see a huge display of all our waters," explains Agorastos, describing Water Works' merchandising. The extensive selection also is displayed at the restaurant's water bar. "People come here for the waters because they cannot get them anyplace else."

PAIRING BASICS

Those opting to pair water with food apply many of the same rules used for food-and-wine pairing. But the first step is educating the palate about the differences between waters.

"People think, 'Water is water,'" points out Brett Spitalny, COO of Boca Raton-based importer/distributor Aqua Maestro. "But let them taste a high mineral water alongside a pure, low mineral water and, lo and behold, there is a difference!"

The USDA categorizes water by source: artesian, which taps an aquifer; mineral, which comes from an underground source and contains at least 250 parts-per-million of total dissolved solids (TDS); spring, which flows naturally from an underground source; and purified, filtered or otherwise treated water, typically from municipal sources. However, for culinary purposes, the two basic categories are still and sparkling.

Mineral content, pH and carbonation levels all come into play when pairing waters with food. As with wine, water can complement or contrast. Water get much of its taste from its pH balance: acidic waters have a sour note, while alkaline waters are slightly bitter and low alkaline waters seem slightly sweet. Mineral content, as well as the types of minerals present, play a major role in water character. Rain and glacier waters are "soft" with low mineral content, and have a more neutral flavor. Waters with high TDS levels are assertive and therefore better matches for foods with strong flavors.