I just discovered a secret oasis in the sparkling water aisle of a local grocery store in Little Armenia. I’ve passed this place many times, but never paid it any attention. Next to me is Martin Riese, a certified water sommelier. He points out bottles of international brands I’ve never heard of. Riese highlights a few notable selections — Ararat (from Armenia), Gerolsteiner (from Germany), Jermuk Borjomi (from Georgia), and Tehuacan (from Mexico) — that he’s never seen before, a rarity for H20 obsessives.
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No, we're not in Erewhon, Lassen's, or any other high-end, trendy market. Rather, we're inside Jons Fresh Marketplace, a family-owned grocery chain in Los Angeles. According to Riese, it's the best place to buy rare and affordable drinking water in Los Angeles. In addition to general market waters like Crystal Geyser and Arrowhead, the store offers more than a dozen water brands from at least eight countries.
Riese should know where to buy the best water. He created his first “water menu” in Berlin in 2005 and has been certified as a water sommelier by the German Water Trade Association since 2011. He spends his days consulting for beverage brands, educating people about water through his popular TikTok and holding monthly Zoom meetings. water tastings which cost $105, which includes the cost of water and participation of up to four people. Born in Germany, he came to the United States in 2011, but didn't discover Jons until he moved to Van Nuys in 2022 and found one right next to his house.
Water sommelier Martin Riese points out the absurdity of putting “Naturally calorie-free” on a bottle of water.
Riese tries a sample of mineral water purchased from Jons.
“I want people to know that there are other options than what you find at Pavilions or Ralphs,” Riese says. “They always have the same brands.” [to Jons] And I couldn't believe that you could actually buy this big bag in a store.”
Jons was founded in 1977 by John and Jack Berberian, Armenian immigrants, with the large foreign population of Los Angeles in mind.
“They committed to helping other recent immigrants adjust to their new lives by preparing some of the foods and ingredients that were familiar to them. [available],” says Dave Harriman, director of the retailer’s shelf-stable department. The company has long claimed that Jons was the first grocery store in Los Angeles to offer international foods.
Armenian sparkling water brand Ararat in Jons.
This marketing approach extends to water selection, specifically the sparkling beverage aisle. Most “bottled waters” available in American supermarkets are simply filtered tap water, basically what you might make at home with your Brita, according to Riese. For sommeliers like him, spring or mineral waters are preferable because they come from a natural source; they are rich in calcium, magnesium and sodium. Depending on the water, there are different levels of each, which changes not only its taste but also its health benefits. Unlike most American waters, European The water labels offered by Jons detail the exact mineral composition of their product on the bottle.
Riese explains that in Germany there are more than 60 brands of water so packed with minerals that they go beyond simple hydration and are considered a form of medicine by the German Federal Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety.
“It is a state-approved medicine, but it is nothing more than bottled water,” he said. “For example, a Gerolsteiner, which can be found at Jons, has the same amount of calcium as a glass of milk.”
Among the products sold at Jons is also Borjomi, a Georgian carbonated drink that can only be found in Los Angeles at international supermarkets such as Jons and Super King. Romano Chobanu, the water brand’s sales manager, calls it a “unique water,” with a “specific taste, which is different from other mineral waters like Italian.” It is high in sodium and is used as a hangover cure in Eastern Europe: “After a party or something, you drink Borjomi,” he said. (A strategy that Riese supports.)
A client of Jons said he drank Jermuk mineral water in Armenia.
Water sommelier Martin Riese compares the taste of various mineral water brands available at Jons.
For a little over $10, Martin and I buy five waters for an impromptu tasting at an electrical box in the entryway, using small red Solo glasses normally used for shots of alcohol. Riese ranks them from least to most minerally, starting with Poland Springs, then Ararat, followed by Gerolsteiner, Borjomi, and Jermuk (also from Armenia). As we move from right to left, the tasting notes become more complex and the salinity intensifies. When I tap into my own inner water sommelier, I identify Borjomi, the aforementioned hangover helper, as my favorite, and find the taste of Poland Springs to be sickening compared to the others.
Riese colorfully comments, much like a wine sommelier would detail the notes of a Pinot Grigio, suggesting that certain waters pair better with certain foods. “Your food will taste different just based on the water,” he says, offering that Saratoga (from New York), also available at Jons, pairs well with sushi because of its low mineral content.
The best thing is that all of this was much more affordable than a wine tasting, or even what you would find at other high-end grocery stores.
“Sometimes I feel like Americans love to be fooled,” Riese says, with the caveat that he loves America. “I don’t know why, but they love to think that whenever something is more expensive, it’s immediately a better product. And that’s not true at all. Especially when it comes to water.”
