My Favorite Fizzy Water Comes Out of the Ground Already Sparkling

There has never been a better time to be a sparkling water fan. Grocery stores and online sellers carry countless varieties of seltzer and bubbly water, and now thanks to countertop appliances, home cooks can turn tap water into a fizz-fest within seconds. Heck, you can even get your seltzer spiked. 

For years, I liked the concept of seltzer more than the actual stuff. Everything I tried was either too aggressively bubbly (it tickled my nose!) or tasted like fake sweeteners and artificial flavors (I do not need my glass of water to bring to mind a slice of key lime pie). Call me the Goldilocks of seltzer, but I began to think that fizzy water just wasn’t for me. Until I found Found Bubbly on — where else? — the internet. 

Found Bubbly is a naturally sparkling water from Turkey, and before I go any further, I want to define that word: naturally. It’s a term that gets tossed around a lot in food and beverage marketing. See, Found Bubbly comes from a spring in one of Turkey’s national parks. And unlike most seltzers, which are created with pressurized carbon dioxide, Found Bubbly emerges from the ground already sparkling. (You could say that it is “found” that way.)

Buy: Found Bubbly Natural Rich Mineral Water, $35 for 12 bottles at Found Bubbly

I tried it out of pure curiosity, and could not have been more pleased. It’s the perfect amount of effervescent to my palate. Each glass bottle opens with a satisfying fizz, but it’s not so bubbly that it turns me into a burp machine. The company makes a handful of culinary-inspired flavors, like “elderflowery” and “cucumber minty.” I like the plain stuff — that way, I can use it as a mixer, or simply add in a slice or two of fresh lemon.

Because it’s naturally occurring spring water, Found Bubbly claims to also carry a host of bonus benefits, like magnesium to support muscle relaxation, and sulfates that aid in digestion. I haven’t noticed any difference in those markers since I began drinking Found Bubbly, but that’s OK: I drink it for the joy.

There’s another reason I’ve become a fan of Found Bubbly: The brand is committed to environmental responsibility. Their glass bottles are 25% lighter than most of their competitors, which means they can use less of the material. They also ship their bottles completely plastic-free. I think that’s really cool.

If you’re a fan of subscription services, you may be pleased to know that you can sign up for one: Members will receive a monthly shipment of sparkling water ($27 for a 12-pack) and — hooray! — your first one is free. The founders chose a subscription model over traditional retail, because it allows them to more closely manage its supply chain and avoid over or under-producing, which reduces waste. This sparkling water really is different, in a variety of ways. And for me, it’s just right.

Do you have a favorite sparkling water? Tell us in the comments below.