Issue #411 What’s Inside Our August Water Box—and Which Bottle Will Become Your Favorite?

August calls for a box with range. We wanted waters that could refresh you during the hottest part of summer while also demonstrating just how dramatically natural water can change from one source to another.

The August Water Box travels through six countries: Italy, Iceland, Spain, the United States, Ecuador, and Greece. Inside, you will discover volcanic filtration, ancient lava rock, deep underground formations, naturally occurring minerals, and everything from exceptionally light water to more structured, mineral-forward pours. Let’s open the box!

Ferrarelle: Italy’s Volcanic Sparkler

Ferrarelle is the lively Italian at the party—the bottle that arrives with bubbles, personality, and a fascinating underground story. The water begins around the extinct Roccamonfina volcano in Southern Italy. It then spends more than 30 years traveling through underground volcanic rock, gathering minerals and natural carbonation along the way. Ferrarelle describes the result as a naturally sparkling water with fine bubbles and a rich mineral character. It is bottled near the source in Riardo, preserving the character it developed below ground. Its combination of minerals, relatively low sodium, and natural effervescence makes Ferrarelle a refreshing choice for active days and substantial meals. The carbonation can help cleanse the palate between bites, making this a fantastic pizza, pasta, cheese, or charcuterie water. And then there is the spectacle: Ferrarelle’s source area is associated with a rare cold-water geyser a reminder that not all geysers require boiling geothermal water. The experience: Mineral-forward, energetic, gently salty, and naturally bubbly.

Icelandic Glacial: Light, Clean and Naturally Alkaline

Icelandic Glacial comes from the legendary Ölfus Spring, located within one of Iceland’s famously pristine environments. The water is naturally filtered through layers of volcanic lava rock before reaching the spring.With a TDS of only 62 mg/L, this is one of the lightest waters in the box. Its low mineral content produces a clean, soft taste that does not  compete with food or overwhelm someone who is just beginning to explore premium water. It also has a naturally alkaline pH of 8.4. Nothing needs to be added to produce that number; it is a characteristic of the water at its source. It is important to remember that alkaline water is not a medical treatment, but the naturally elevated pH is still an interesting part of Icelandic Glacial’s identity.  The experience: Silky, delicate, almost weightless, and exceptionally clean.

Sant Aniol Classic: Volcanic Balance from Spain

Sant Aniol comes from La Garrotxa, a dramatic volcanic region in Catalonia. The water slowly filters through layers of ancient volcanic material before being collected from a formation approximately 120 meters below the surface. That journey gives Sant Aniol a balanced mineral composition, including calcium, magnesium and bicarbonate, while maintaining a low sodium level. Those naturally occurring electrolytes support normal functions within the body, while the water itself helps you meet your everyday hydration needs. Sant Aniol also promotes its water in connection with digestive function, uric acid, cholesterol, and urinary health. We need to put those statements in the proper glass: they are brand wellness claims and should not be interpreted as proof that the water prevents infections or treats a medical condition. Its clearest everyday benefit is simple pleasant hydration accompanied by a balanced collection of naturally occurring minerals.  The experience: Balanced, smooth, lightly mineral, and wonderfully food-friendly.

Saratoga: An American Classic in Blue

Few water bottles command a table quite like Saratoga’s iconic cobalt-blue glass. The brand’s story is rooted in Saratoga Springs, New York, where mineral springs once attracted fashionable visitors from the United States and Europe. Saratoga traces its heritage to 1872 and continues to bottle water at its historic Saratoga Springs facility. The water in this box has a low TDS of 73 mg/L and a neutral pH of approximately 7, giving it a crisp, clean profile. This is an easy water to serve with seafood, salads, fruit, brunch, or any dish whose subtle flavors you do not want to overpower. One useful sourcing detail for today’s water drinker: Saratoga’s current website describes its products as coming from “carefully selected U.S. springs.” That language is more accurate than assuming every bottle is sourced directly from one historic Saratoga spring.  The experience: Crisp, polished, refreshing, and effortlessly elegant.

Splendor: A Rare Volcanic Water from Ecuador

Splendor delivers one of the box’s biggest stories with one of its lowest mineral totals. This Ecuadorian artesian water is naturally filtered through geological formations associated with the Cotopaxi volcano. With a TDS of just 31 mg/L, Splendor should taste remarkably light and delicate. The brand’s signature point of difference is its claim that the water naturally contains trace colloidal gold and silver. Splendor connects those elements with inflammation, cognitive function, circulation, immunity, collagen production, antimicrobial activity, and preservation. Those are attention-grabbing claims, but they require a careful distinction: the presence of trace elements does not establish that drinking the water will produce those medical or cosmetic results. In particular, colloidal silver should not be presented as an antibiotic, antiviral treatment, immune booster, or cure for infection. The FDA has repeatedly challenged disease-treatment claims made for colloidal-silver products. In this box, Splendor is best appreciated for its unusual volcanic origin, extremely low TDS, rarity, and soft taste not as a substitute for medical care.  The experience: Feathery, subtle, clean, and wonderfully unexpected.

Ydor Sourotis: Greek Water with Mineral Structure

Our final stop is Greece, where Ydor Sourotis originates in the Anthemountas basin. The water is drawn from a water-bearing formation more than 130 meters deep, where the surrounding rock contributes its natural minerals and trace elements. Ydor is especially notable for its magnesium content, calcium-to-magnesium balance, and low sodium level. Calcium and magnesium are essential dietary minerals involved in normal muscle, nerve, and bone functions. Water should not replace a balanced diet, but naturally mineralized water can contribute small amounts toward overall mineral intake. At 350 mg/L TDS, Ydor has the most pronounced mineral concentration listed in this box. It should feel more substantial on the palate than Icelandic Glacial, Splendor, or Saratoga, making it an excellent bottle for comparison tasting. The experience: Structured, rounded, satisfying, and distinctly mineral.

August Mocktail: The Volcanic Golden Hour

This bright, alcohol-free spritz puts Ferrarelle’s natural bubbles and mineral character at the center. Peach brings late-summer sweetness, lemon adds freshness, and basil gives it a sophisticated finish.

Ingredients

• 4 ounces chilled Ferrarelle
• 2 ounces white peach nectar
• ½ ounce fresh lemon juice
• ½ ounce honey-basil syrup
• 2 thin peach slices
• 2 fresh basil leaves
• Ice
• Lemon peel or basil sprig for garnish

For the honey-basil syrup

• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon warm water
• 3 basil leaves

1. Stir the honey and warm water until completely blended.
2. Lightly press three basil leaves into the syrup and allow them to steep for five minutes. Remove the leaves.
3. Add the peach nectar, lemon juice, honey-basil syrup, peach slices, and two fresh basil leaves to a stemmed glass.
4. Gently press the fruit and basil once or twice just enough to release their aromas.
5. Fill the glass with ice and slowly add the chilled Ferrarelle.
6. Stir gently to preserve the water’s fine bubbles.
7. Garnish with a curled lemon peel, peach slice, or basil sprig.

Water Sommelier’s note: Avoid shaking Ferrarelle with the other ingredients. Adding it at the end preserves its natural sparkle and allows its volcanic minerality to keep the peach and honey from tasting overly sweet.

Make It a Box Challenge

Prepare the peach, lemon, and basil base without Ferrarelle, then divide it into small tasting glasses. Add a different still water from the box to each one. The drink will taste softer with Splendor or Icelandic Glacial, crisper with Saratoga, and more structured with Sant Aniol or Ydor.

Turn the Box into a Water Tasting

For the best experience, chill the waters lightly rather than serving them ice-cold. Very cold temperatures can hide the small differences you are trying to discover. Taste the still waters from lowest to highest TDS:

1. Splendor — 31 mg/L

2. Icelandic Glacial — 62 mg/L

3. Saratoga — 73 mg/L

4. Sant Aniol — 329 mg/L

5. Ydor — 350 mg/L

Finish with Ferrarelle so its natural sparkle does not influence your perception of the still waters. Notice texture as much as flavor. Does the water feel silky, crisp, round, dry, lively, or weighty? Which one disappears quietly, and which one announces its minerals? That is what makes the August Water Box so much fun. It is not simply six bottles of water. It is six geological journeys and one delicious reminder that water has terroir, texture, history, and a personality all its own.