Issue #407 Did You Miss Our Spring and Sparkling Anniversary Boxes?

July 31 is here. Somehow, we have reached the final Friday of the month and after celebrating ten years of Salacious Drinks, we could not let July slip away without one more look at the two boxes that helped us mark the occasion. Consider this our anniversary lap around the world. For July, we created two different tasting experiences: the July Spring Anniversary Box for drinkers who appreciate water in its quiet, natural form, and the July Sparkling Anniversary Box for those who prefer their minerals with bubbles and a little extra personality. Between them, the boxes featured twelve waters, eight countries, and a wonderful range of mineral profiles. Some were light and silky. Others were crisp, structured, salty, boldly mineral, or unapologetically bubbly. So, before August enters the room, let’s run them back.

The Spring Anniversary Box: Quiet Waters with Plenty to Say

The July Spring Anniversary Box proves that still water is never “just water.” Each bottle has its own texture, mineral balance, and sense of place. Antipodes begins our journey in New Zealand. With a TDS of approximately 130 mg/L and a neutral pH of 7, it is remarkably light and silky. This is the water to serve when you want something elegant that will not compete with delicate food. Try it with fresh fruit, seafood, soft cheese, or a simple summer salad. Next, we travel to the Apennine Mountains of Italy for Acqua Filette Still. Its source sits about 900 meters above sea level near Guarcino. With a TDS of 224 mg/L, Filette has enough mineral presence to feel interesting while remaining smooth and easy at the table. Italy stays in the spotlight with Fiuggi, a low-mineral spring water with a clean, gentle profile. Fiuggi is one of those waters that invites you to slow down. Chill it lightly, pour it into a proper glass, and notice its softness rather than drinking it straight from the refrigerator. Then comes Hildon Still from the English countryside. With a medium mineral presence and an understated finish, Hildon feels wonderfully composed. It belongs beside tea sandwiches, roasted chicken, fresh berries, or anything served during a leisurely brunch. Our final European still water is Lurisia, sourced high in the Italian Alps. Its very low TDS gives it an exceptionally light character. If some waters announce themselves with a brass band, Lurisia enters like a whisper. Completing the box is an American classic: Mountain Valley Spring Water from Hot Springs, Arkansas. Bottled since 1871, it offers a naturally alkaline profile and a little more structure on the palate. It is refreshing by itself, but it is also an excellent companion for grilled vegetables, barbecue, and summer picnic food. That is the fun of tasting these six together. “Still” describes the absence of bubbles not the absence of flavor.

The Sparkling Anniversary Box: Let the Bubbles Begin

The July Sparkling Anniversary Box turns up the volume. Acqua Filette Carbonated keeps things polished, with restrained minerality and refined bubbles. It is an easy starting point for someone who is curious about sparkling water but does not want an aggressive fizz. Gerolsteiner from Germany’s Volcanic Eifel region takes us in the opposite direction. Naturally sparkling and loaded with minerals, it has a TDS of approximately 2,527 mg/L. You can feel its calcium, magnesium, bicarbonate, and lively carbonation creating a bold, substantial sip. Hildon Carbonated brings British restraint to the bubbly side of the table. The bubbles are present but well behaved, making it a versatile choice for meals and mocktails. From Arkansas, Mountain Valley Sparkling offers familiar spring-water minerality dressed up with carbonation. It is crisp enough for a hot afternoon but balanced enough to serve throughout dinner.France contributes Saint-Géron, a naturally sparkling mineral water with a TDS of approximately 1,158 mg/L.  Its mineral structure and natural effervescence create a distinctive, gastronomic water—one that deserves to be tasted before anything is added to it. And finally, there is Vichy Catalan from Spain. With a TDS near 2,900 mg/L, naturally occurring carbonation, and a distinctly savory mineral character, Vichy does not tiptoe onto the palate. It arrives. It is bold, memorable, and especially enjoyable with rich, salty, or deeply flavored foods.

Three Anniversary Mocktails to Keep the Celebration Going

The Alpine Peach Fizz

• 2 ounces white peach nectar

• ½ ounce fresh lemon juice

• 4 ounces Acqua Filette Carbonated or Hildon Carbonated

• Fresh basil

• Peach slice

Gently press two basil leaves in a glass. Add ice, peach nectar, and lemon juice. Top with sparkling water and garnish with a peach slice.

The Volcanic Citrus Cooler

• 2 ounces fresh grapefruit juice

• ½ ounce honey syrup

• 4 ounces Gerolsteiner

• Rosemary sprig

• Grapefruit wedge

Combine the grapefruit juice and honey syrup over ice. Slowly add Gerolsteiner, stir once, and garnish with rosemary. Gerolsteiner’s high minerality gives this simple drink a surprisingly grown-up finish.

The Still Summer Garden

• 3 cucumber slices

• 2 ounces white grape juice

• ½ ounce lime juice

• 4 ounces Antipodes or Lurisia

• Fresh mint

Muddle the cucumber lightly, add ice, grape juice, and lime, then finish with still water. Stir gently and add mint. It is clean, refreshing, and deliberately subtle.

One Last Pour for July

Our tenth anniversary was never only about counting years. It was about remembering why Salacious Drinks began: to introduce people to natural, single-source waters and show that water can carry geology, geography, texture, and story in every bottle. These two July boxes captured that idea beautifully. One gave us softness, clarity, and quiet mineral expression. The other brought bubbles, energy, and some very bold personalities. If you tasted both, which side won spring or sparkling? We will not make you choose permanently. But for this final Friday in July, pour your favorite into a good glass, make one of the mocktails, and raise it with us. Ten years down. Many more waters to discover.