In the world of fine waters, recognition matters. Not because awards make a water great but because they help people discover greatness that already exists in the bottle.
This month marks the official opening of submissions for The Daily Pour’s Water Choice Awards, a new competition designed to spotlight outstanding water brands from around the world. For producers, distributors, and sommeliers, this moment signals something exciting: the bottled water category is finally getting the kind of global recognition that wine, spirits, and coffee have enjoyed for decades.
And this year, the judging panel includes a familiar name to readers of The Droplet Ashley “The Waterlady” Epperson, water sommelier, educator, and one of the leading voices advocating for natural mineral waters.
So what exactly are these awards? Who should enter? And how should brands prepare? Let’s dive in.
What Are The Daily Pour’s Water Choice Awards?
The Water Choice Awards were created by The Daily Pour, a beverage media platform dedicated to covering the evolving global drinks industry—from spirits and zero-proof cocktails to the growing world of premium bottled waters.
The goal of the awards is simple:
to identify and celebrate exceptional waters across categories while helping consumers navigate an increasingly complex water market.
Natural waters are not all the same. Some rise through volcanic rock, others through limestone aquifers, and still others emerge naturally carbonated from deep underground sources. With so many styles and mineral profiles, awards like this help consumers understand quality, taste, and character.
Entries are evaluated through blind tastings, where judges score waters based on taste, quality, balance, and overall drinking experience.
The process removes brand bias and allows each water to speak for itself.
Top winners receive:
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Official trophies
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Medal recognition
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Digital badges for packaging and marketing
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Editorial coverage across The Daily Pour’s media platforms
For many brands, this recognition can dramatically increase visibility in restaurants, retail stores, and international markets.
Why Water Awards Matter Now
The global bottled water industry has transformed over the past decade.
Consumers are no longer just asking:
“Is this water safe?”
They’re asking:
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Where does it come from?
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What minerals are inside it?
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Is it naturally sparkling?
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How sustainable is the packaging?
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What does it taste like?
Water has evolved into a craft beverage category.
Just like wine expresses terroir, water reflects geology. A spring rising through granite tastes completely different from one filtered through volcanic basalt or ancient marine sediments.
Competitions like the Water Choice Awards recognize this diversity—and encourage brands to elevate quality across the industry.
What Brands Need To Do To Enter
For water brands interested in competing, the process is straightforward—but preparation matters.
Here’s how brands typically get ready.
1. Submit Your Entry
Brands must officially register during the submission window and pay the entry fee.
Early submissions are often discounted, making it advantageous for companies to register early in the season.
2. Ship Sample Bottles
Most beverage competitions require several bottles for blind tasting.
Judges will evaluate waters without seeing the brand name or packaging. That means the water itself must stand on its own merit.
This is where natural waters often shine.
Mineral balance, mouthfeel, carbonation texture, and finish become the true deciding factors.
3. Provide Technical Information
Brands may also submit:
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Mineral analysis reports
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Source descriptions
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Production details
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Packaging information
While tasting remains the core of judging, context helps judges understand what makes each water unique.
4. Prepare for Feedback
One of the most valuable aspects of competitions like this is the professional feedback brands receive.
Judges often provide tasting notes and evaluations that producers can use to refine positioning, storytelling, or even packaging.
Even brands that do not win medals gain insight into how their water performs among global peers.
Meet One of the Judges: Ashley “The Waterlady” Epperson
One of the most exciting elements of this year’s awards is the judging panel—and for the fine water community, one name stands out.
Ashley Epperson, known widely as “The Waterlady.”
Ashley is a certified water sommelier, educator, and co-founder of a specialty water marketplace dedicated to natural sourced waters from around the world.
But more importantly, she’s part of a growing movement that treats water with the same respect traditionally given to wine.
Over the past few years, Ashley has:
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Hosted large-scale water tastings
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Educated consumers on mineral profiles and geology
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Judged international water competitions
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Helped restaurants build curated water menus
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Introduced people to waters they never knew existed
Her philosophy is simple:
Water is not just water.
Every spring tells a story.
Some waters emerge from volcanic mountains in Italy. Others bubble naturally with carbon dioxide from ancient geological chambers in Georgia. Some carry high magnesium levels that influence taste and mouthfeel.
Ashley’s role as a judge reflects the growing importance of water expertise within the beverage world.
Just like wine sommeliers evaluate structure, acidity, and aroma, water sommeliers evaluate:
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minerality
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texture
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carbonation style
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balance
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finish
And yes water absolutely has a finish.
What Judges Look For
During competitions like the Water Choice Awards, judges are searching for several key characteristics.
Balance
A great water feels harmonious. Minerals should complement one another rather than overwhelm the palate.
Mouthfeel
Some waters feel silky and smooth. Others feel crisp or structured.
Mineral composition heavily influences this experience.
Carbonation Quality
For sparkling waters, judges evaluate:
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bubble size
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persistence
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softness vs aggressiveness
Natural carbonation often creates finer bubbles compared to added carbonation.
Finish
After swallowing, does the water leave a refreshing sensation? Or a lingering mineral note?
The best waters invite another sip.
Why This Moment Matters for the Water Industry
For decades, bottled water was treated as a commodity.
Now it’s entering its craft era.
People want authenticity. They want natural sources. They want to understand what they’re drinking.
Events like the Water Choice Awards help accelerate that shift by celebrating waters with character and origin.
And for the growing global community of water sommeliers, collectors, and enthusiasts, competitions like this mark an important step forward.
Water finally has its stage.
The Future of Water Recognition
As more competitions emerge, the bottled water industry will likely see:
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clearer quality standards
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better consumer education
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increased appreciation for natural mineral waters
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stronger storytelling around sources and geology
And most importantly, it helps people discover something many of us already know:
The world’s most fascinating beverage may also be its oldest.
Water.
So here’s the question for brands around the world:
Could this be the year your water takes home the trophy?
With submissions now open and judges like Ashley “The Waterlady” Epperson evaluating the entries, the stage is set for one of the most exciting competitions the water industry has seen in years.
And we’ll be watching closely glass in hand. 💧