Issue #409 Can You Taste The Difference?

August 16th, something exciting is happening in New York City and yes, water is finally getting the serious tasting table it deserves.

The Daily Pour’s inaugural Water Choice Awards will bring together waters from around the world for a professional blind tasting.  August 16, we are counting down to judging day and introducing the five experts who will be doing the tasting. This is not a competition to see which bottle has the prettiest label or the most luxurious marketing campaign. During judging, the bottles will be hidden and the waters will be presented in coded glasses. The panel will evaluate what is actually in the glass: flavor, balance, texture, carbonation and the overall drinking experience. That is important because water is not flavorless. Its source, geology, mineral composition and carbonation can create an entire range of sensations. One water may feel light and silky. Another may have a noticeable mineral presence. A naturally sparkling water can arrive with lively bubbles and a slightly savory character, while a softly carbonated water may feel delicate and almost creamy. The Water Choice Awards were created to recognize those differences and to celebrate the producers who take water seriously.

How Will the Competition Work?

The awards include categories for non-carbonated water, naturally sparkling water, sparkling water, flavored water and flavored sparkling water. The competition will also consider sustainability and the ways certain bottled-water brands give back to their communities. Each tasting category will be evaluated by at least three judges. Waters will receive individual scores before the panel reaches a final consensus, with medals ranging from bronze to double gold. The winners will be announced in September 2026. It sounds very official and it is but we expect plenty of fascinating conversation around the judging table. After all, this panel brings together water education, fine dining, wellness, zero-proof culture and professional beverage development. Let’s meet the judges.

Ashley Epperson: The Waterlady Takes the Lead

Ashley Epperson will serve as head judge for the inaugural competition. She is a certified water sommelier and the co-founder and COO of Salacious Drinks, an online marketplace specializing in natural, single-source bottled waters. Better known as The Waterlady, Ashley has spent years helping customers understand that choosing water can be just as personal as choosing coffee, wine or tea. Through Salacious Drinks, she introduces people to waters from springs, artesian aquifers and other protected natural sources around the world. She also leads water tastings, works with restaurants and hospitality professionals, develops water pairings and regularly shares water education through The Droplet. In 2025, Ashley served on the international jury for the FineWaters Taste & Design Awards. Her approach is curious, approachable and grounded in the belief that people should know more about the beverage they consume every day. As head judge, she will help guide the panel through a thoughtful and fair evaluation of every entry.

Preston Boyer: Connecting Water and Wellness

Preston Boyer is a certified water sommelier and the founder of Liquid Life Wellness Water. His work sits at the intersection of water appreciation, education and personal wellness. Preston helps people move beyond the basic instruction to “drink more water” and begin thinking about the quality, source and character of the water they choose. That wellness perspective adds something valuable to the judging table. Fine water can offer pleasure and a sense of discovery, but it is also part of our daily routines. Preston understands both sides of that conversation: water as an interesting culinary beverage and water as an essential part of life. Expect him to pay close attention to how each entry feels, tastes and performs as a complete drinking experience.

Cameron Smith: Bringing Water to the Fine-Dining Table

Cameron Smith is a certified water sommelier, Tea Master and Maître du Fromage at the acclaimed Inn at Little Washington in Virginia. Cameron has worked at the Inn for nearly 20 years. After discovering fine water while studying tea, he trained through the Fine Water Academy and created a dedicated water menu for the restaurant. He now guides guests through waters sourced from springs, glaciers and aquifers, explaining how geology and mineral content influence taste and mouthfeel. His background makes him especially attentive to pairing. Cameron understands how a water can refresh the palate, complement food or change the way another flavor is experienced. He also brings warmth and humor to education—qualities that make unfamiliar subjects much easier to explore.

Laura Silverman: A Champion for Better Non-Alcoholic Choices

Laura Silverman is the founder of Zero Proof Nation, a platform dedicated to non-alcoholic beverage culture and inclusive hospitality. Booze-free since 2007, Laura began her work before “sober curious” became part of the everyday beverage conversation. Zero Proof Nation grew from a small directory into a global resource for discovering non-alcoholic bottle shops, bars, pop-ups and other welcoming hospitality spaces. Laura understands that people who do not drink alcohol still want something intentional, sophisticated and delicious in their glass. Water belongs in that conversation. Her perspective will help the panel consider the broader beverage experience: Is the water distinctive? Is it enjoyable? Does it feel worthy of a place at the table?

Estelle Bossy: A Mixologist’s Eye for Balance

Estelle Bossy is a New York-based beverage director, consulting mixologist, sommelier and educator with more than two decades of hospitality experience. She has worked with acclaimed beverage programs at Del Posto and La Sirena, served as corporate beverage director for Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group and helped open notable New York properties including Panorama Room and Le Rock. Estelle knows how small details can transform a drink. Temperature, aroma, texture, dilution and balance all matter—and water affects every one of them. Her mixologist’s palate brings another layer to the panel, especially when evaluating carbonation, flavored waters and the way an entry develops across a sip.

Now, Let the Water Speak

What makes this judging panel special is not that everyone approaches water in exactly the same way. It is that they do not. One judge may notice minerality first. Another may focus on mouthfeel. Someone else may immediately imagine the right dish, tasting menu or zero-proof pairing. Together, those perspectives create a more complete picture of what makes a water memorable.

On August 16th, the labels will disappear, the coded glasses will be poured and the tasting will begin. Then comes the hardest part: waiting until September to discover which waters earned bronze, silver, gold and double gold. For now, raise a glass to the judges, the participating producers and a competition built around one wonderfully refreshing idea: water deserves to be tasted, discussed and celebrated.