Mineral Water
Water with naturally occurring minerals.
What is Mineral Water? Mineral Water is water drawn from a natural underground spring that carries dissolved minerals such as salts, sulfur compounds, calcium, and magnesium picked up as it moves through rock. It is bottled at or near the source with only minimal treatment, preserving the chemical fingerprint of its geological origin. The water may be still, naturally sparkling from gases present at the source, or carbonated with added CO2 during bottling. With more than 4,000 brands available worldwide, it sits alongside wine and spirits as a category where origin and composition genuinely shape character.
Regulation and Treatment
Rules differ significantly between markets. In the United States, the FDA defines mineral water as water containing at least 250 parts per million of total dissolved solids, drawn from a geologically and physically protected underground source. Crucially, no minerals may be added — the entire mineral profile must be naturally present in the water as it emerges from the spring.
European regulation takes an even stricter view of authenticity. Mineral water must be bottled at the source, and disinfection or the use of bacteriostatic agents is prohibited. Permitted treatments are limited to the removal of iron, manganese, sulfur, and arsenic, accomplished only through decantation, filtration, or ozone-enriched air, and without altering the water's essential properties. CO2 may be added, removed, or reintroduced, but only through physical methods.
Composition and Health Context
The character of a mineral water comes down to what the rock gave it. Hardness is determined by the concentration of dissolved calcium and magnesium ions — the higher the levels, the harder the water. These two minerals also drive much of the perceptible mouthfeel, from light and clean to dense and almost savory.
Research summarized by the World Health Organization has linked harder, higher-mineral-content water with a slight reduction in cardiovascular mortality, with magnesium, and possibly calcium, identified as the likely contributors. This is part of why mineral water is treated as more than a beverage in many cultures rather than as a simple thirst-quencher.
Styles and Tradition
Three principal styles are recognized: still, naturally carbonated when the spring itself delivers dissolved gas, and carbonated when CO2 is added during bottling. Each style behaves differently at the table — still waters tend to sit quietly beside delicate wines, while sparkling versions cut through richer dishes and refresh the palate between courses.
The cultural roots run deep. For centuries, people travelled to springs, spas, baths, and wells to drink directly from the source, a practice known as taking the waters or taking the cure. That tradition is the reason so many leading brands today still carry the name of the town or spring where the water emerges.
