1909 French Flag Patriotic Perrier Sparkling Water Mineral Drink Ad 6927

Perrier was part of the Perrier Vittel Group SA, which became  Nestlé Waters France  after the acquisition of the company by  Nestlé  in 1992.[2]  Nestlé Waters France also includes  Vittel,  S.Pellegrino  and  Contrex.

About [ edit]

The spring from which Perrier water is sourced is naturally  carbonated, but the water and natural  carbon dioxide gas  are obtained independently. The water is then purified, and during  bottling, the carbon dioxide gas is re-added so that the level of carbonation in bottled Perrier matches that of the Vergèze spring.[3][4]

In 1990, Perrier removed the "naturally sparkling" claim from its bottles under pressure from the United States  Food and Drug Administration  (FDA).[5]

Since at least 2019, Perrier water is no longer "reinforced with gas from the source" but "with the addition of carbon dioxide". According to the company, this change allows it to considerably reduce its total water consumption and reduce its ecological impact.[6]

History [ edit]

The spring in  Southern France  from which Perrier is drawn was originally known as  Les Bouillens   (The Bubbles). It had been used as a  spa  since  Roman  times.[7]  During 218 BC,  Hannibal  and his army, having passed through Spain en route to his intended conquest of Rome, decided to rest for a while at Les Bouillens, from which the men took water for refreshment.[8]

Perrier was first introduced to Britain during 1863.[9]  Local doctor Louis Perrier bought the spring in 1898 and operated a commercial spa there; he also  bottled  the water for sale. He later sold the spring to  St John Harmsworth, a wealthy British visitor. Harmsworth was the younger brother of the newspaper magnates  Lord Northcliffe  and  Lord Rothermere. He had come to France to learn the language. Dr. Perrier showed him the spring, and he decided to buy it. He sold his share of the family newspapers to raise the money. Harmsworth closed the spa, as spas were becoming unfashionable. He renamed the spring  Source Perrier   and started bottling the water in distinctive green bottles. The shape was that of the  Indian clubs  which Harmsworth used for exercise.[7][10]

 

Harmsworth marketed the product in Britain at a time when Frenchness was seen as chic and aspirational to the middle classes. It was advertised as the  Champagne  of mineral water. (There are Champagne houses by the name of  Laurent-Perrier  and  Perrier-Jouët, but there is no connection.) Advertising in newspapers like the  Daily Mail   established the brand. For a time, 95% of sales were in Britain and the US.

Perrier's reputation for purity suffered a blow in 1990 when a laboratory in  North Carolina  in the  United States  found  benzene, a  carcinogen, in several bottles. Perrier stated that it was an isolated incident of a worker having made a mistake in filtering and that the spring itself was unpolluted. The incident ultimately led to the worldwide withdrawal of the product, some 160 million bottles of Perrier.[11][12]

Two years later in 1992, Perrier was bought by  Nestlé, one of the world's leading food and drink companies.[13]  Nestlé had to contend with competition from the  Agnelli family  for ownership of the business.[14]

In 2004, a crisis erupted when Nestlé announced a restructuring plan for Perrier. The following year, Perrier was ordered to halt restructuring due to a failure to consult adequately with staff.[15]

Bottling [ edit]

 

Perrier is available in 750 ml, 330 ml, and 200 ml glass bottles in  Europe, as well as in 330 ml cans. In other markets, the 250 ml can is also available. Perrier bottles all have a distinctive 'teardrop' shape and are a signature green colour. In August 2001, the company introduced a new bottling format using  polyethylene terephthalate  to offer Perrier in plastic, a change that was researched for 11 years[16]  to determine which material would best help retain both the water's flavour and its purported "50 million bubbles."

In 2013, Perrier celebrated its 150th anniversary by launching a limited edition series of bottles inspired by  Andy Warhol.[17]

In 2019, Perrier released Perrier ARTXTRA limited edition packaging featuring artwork of artist duo Dabsmyla  [18]  to help support the contemporary artist community.[19]

Varieties [ edit]

Perrier comes in several flavours: Natural,  Lemon, and  Lime  have been on the market for many years, and in 2007, Citron Lemon-Lime and Pamplemousse Rose (Pink  Grapefruit) flavours debuted in the United States. In 2015, a Green Apple flavour was launched in France as well as the US. In 2016, a Mint flavour (Saveur Menthe) was introduced in France.

Since 2002, new varieties of Perrier have been introduced in France, for example,  Eau de Perrier   is less carbonated than the original, and comes in a blue bottle.  Perrier Fluo   comes in flavours such as ginger-cherry, peppermint, orange-lychee, raspberry, and ginger-lemon.

In 2017, Perrier introduced two new flavours, Perrier Strawberry and Perrier Watermelon,[20]  to their existing Lime, L’Orange, Pink Grapefruit, and Green Apple flavour.[21]

Distribution [ edit]

As of January 2013, Perrier was available in 140 countries, and almost 1 billion bottles are sold every year.[22]