I Ate The Chocodile

At lunch today, a woman stopped me as I was getting up from the table to ask what it was that I had been drinking… “San Pellegrino,” I replied. She looked at me, baffled, and questioned again, “Is that water?” “Yes, it’s sparkling mineral water,” I nodded slowly, trying not to seem patronizing, but I was beginning to become as confused by her as she apparently was by me, or rather, my choice of beverage. “I’ve never seen that before,” she sighed and returned to her table.

My favorite way to enjoy San Pellegrino used to be as a palate-cleanser between bites of rich, creamy gelato. As I’ve eliminated caloric drinks from my diet, sparkling water has become the treat that I turn to instead of a sugary soda, or glass of wine or beer on an evening out. So as I was perusing the beverage aisle at Target today, I decided to grab a 1-Liter bottle each of their house brand (Archer Farms,) Perrier and San Pellegrino, for a side-by-side comparison.

Here are my findings:

Perrier
Price: $1.49
Effervescence: Small, somewhat sparse bubbles that were long-lasting.
Taste: Very smooth, with only a slight bitter mineral note, and an almost citrus-y finish.

San Pellegrino
Price: $1.69
Effervescence: Many tiny bubbles that were somewhat long-lasting.
Taste: Very crisp, with a hard mineral taste and hint of sodium, almost salty

Archer Farms Italian Sparkling Mineral Water
Price: $1.29
Effervescence: Tons of fast-moving, large bubbles that quickly dissipated
Taste: Somewhat harsh and unpleasant, like drinking a baking soda cocktail

I was quite surprised that I could tell a clear difference between the Archer Farms water and the other two brands. It had much less complexity and more bitterness, and went flat more quickly. Based on personal tastes, the Perrier was my favorite, and seemed the most “drinkable,” but I could envision different pairings in which I would use the San Pellegrino, such as a dish in a heavy cream sauce. The Perrier might be more suited to a fish course, or a salad. The price points didn’t make much difference, but it is interesting to note that the most expensive one was not necessarily the best or the worst, and the cheapest was not, indeed, worth the forty cent price break.
Next time I get thirsty, I will no doubt be reaching for that familiar bottle, shaped like a jade green bowling pin. It doesn’t hurt that it brings back fond memories of quashing my thirst with its lukewarm bubbles under the hot Texas sun at the Austin City Limits Festival, while the dehydrated were being crowd-surfed over to Security…

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