Hydrosommelier at the Christmas table. On the taste of water, health and the pitfalls of labels

The Christmas tree is sparkling, the kitchen smells of borscht and mushrooms, someone is still nervously putting the finishing touches on the gift list. In the middle of all this holiday commotion stands the simplest of drinks – water, which no one particularly celebrates. And yet, when properly chosen, it can work a little Christmas trick: relieve an overeaten stomach, cleanse the taste buds between courses, and even turn an ordinary dinner into an experience on the level of the best restaurants. How to do it in practice? – suggests hydrosommelier Sebastian Widowski, who knows how to make water the star of the evening.

Agnieszka Hobot: Let’s start with the basics: who exactly is a hydrosommelier? How would you describe your profession to someone hearing the term for the first time – how does it differ from a classic sommelier and where is such a specialization realistically useful?

Sebastian Widowski: In the simplest terms, a hydrosommelier is a person who professionally matches water to food and beverages, treating it as part of the culinary experience, not just “something to drink.” This specialty was born out of the need for a more conscious consumption of water in restaurants, hotels and places where care is taken to detail – including in salons.

The classic sommelier deals with the world of wine and spirits more broadly. The hydrosommelier focuses exclusively on water and premium soft drinks. He selects them for dishes, taking into account the flavor profile, mineralization, pH, origin, carbonation and overall character of the cuisine. I am the architect of the connections between a dish, wine or other beverage and water.

Water is a quiet player on the table – it always appears, from the everyday glass at home to fine dining tastings. If we take it seriously, it can enhance the flavor of dishes, cleanse the taste buds between bites, and sometimes gently mask the less ideal accents of a composition.

I like the comparison to a soccer team: even the best striker – such a Lewandowski on a plate – will not win a match alone. Well-chosen water forms a harmonious team with the dish (and possibly the wine), which plays to the same goal: to bring out the maximum flavor from the meal, add lightness and a touch of exclusivity.

A.H.: Many people say that water is water and that there is nothing to discuss. How do you convince skeptics that water can be the subject of professional tasting? What characteristics – flavor, aroma, mineral – do you pay the most attention to?

S.W.: If a restaurant has a dozen types of wine sold by the glass, dozens of labels on the menu, an extensive cocktail offering, and only two items in the WATER section: carbonated and non-carbonated, it is limiting itself in terms of potential and guest experience. With water it’s exactly like with wine – as long as you only drink white or red, you don’t know how much you’re missing out on.

In Poland, we generally have very good quality water – both bottled and tap water. Tap water after filtration is safe, but its flavor profile tends to be quite flat. It is only when we introduce several waters with different mineralization and pH into the menu that space opens up to build a whole new experience for guests.

When tasting, I pay attention to several aspects. First, on the texture and mouthfeel. It can be light, creamy, oily, soft or rather hard. The next thing is the taste. And here there are salty, bitter, metallic, chalky, slightly sweet notes at higher magnesium concentrations. Mineralization and composition are also important, as well as pH, which affects how the water stacks up against specific foods. And finally, there’s CO₂ saturation (whether the bubbles are gentle and pearly or aggressive and dominant).

When guests are given two-three different waters to compare at the same dish, suddenly it becomes clear that water is not just water. The differences are palpable, and when properly selected, it can realistically enhance the quality of the entire dinner.

A.H.: There is a quiet rivalry going on in Polish homes and restaurants: tap water versus bottled water. When – from your perspective – is reaching for bottled water justified, and when is good, properly prepared tap water quietly enough?

S.W.: I would separate this into two worlds: home and fine dining. What we see today in fine dining is increasingly finding its way to home tables as well – the same is true of the approach to water and its conscious selection. At home, I don’t demonize tap water – I drink it myself, after sensible preparation, of course, usually using a good filter. On the other hand, there are situations in which it’s worth consciously reaching for bottled water, especially the highly mineralized kind: after intense exercise, training, sauna stay, when there is an increased need for electrolytes or in certain health situations (such as stomach or osteoarticular problems – always in consultation with your doctor).

The issue is different for children, infants, the elderly or those with specific ailments – there the water profile should be chosen more carefully, with more attention paid to composition and medical recommendations.

In a restaurant, the minimum I recommend is a water card with at least three different suggestions with different mineralization. This allows you to match water to the style of cuisine, specific dishes and wines, while giving guests a real choice: from carafe, filtered water as a budget option to premium bottled water.

Not every establishment can afford a full-time hydrosommelier – and it doesn’t have to. In practice, it is often enough for a sommelier or experienced waiter to be trained in a few selected waters, to know something about their origin, composition and how they interact with the menu. This will set a restaurant apart in a very competitive foodservice industry.

A.H.: The water market is full of trendy slogans: glacier water, alkaline water, structured water. Where, from your point of view, is the line between reliable information and pure marketing? What should an ordinary consumer watch out for, so as not to be seduced by promises of miracle water?

S.W.: The rule I follow is simple: trust, but verify.

Glacier water sounds spectacular and can indeed be very pure, but firstly – it costs a correspondingly high amount, and secondly there is the question of whether this is really what we need on a daily basis. Alkaline water, due to its higher pH, is sometimes presented as almost magically healthy, while we are often dealing with an effect obtained artificially, with the help of filters and ionizers. Some studies question the sense of drinking the effects of such treatment on a daily basis.

Similarly with structured water – most often we are talking about a certain ordering of molecules from a chemistry and physics point of view, but this does not necessarily translate into proven, spectacular health or taste benefits.

If you want to choose consciously, it’s worth checking the source of the water and its category (natural mineral, spring, medicinal) and looking at certifications and tests, not just slogans on the label. It is also necessary to consider whether we need therapeutic water and in what quantities, so analyze its composition and mineralization in the context of our own needs, rather than following the principle of the more, the better.

Just because water has more of something doesn’t automatically mean it’s better for us. The wisest thing to do is to choose it according to your lifestyle, health and diet, not the most flashy marketing slogan.

A.H.: The holidays are approaching, heavier, multi-course meals will appear on the tables. What kind of water – in terms of type and mineralization – would you recommend for the holiday table, so that on the one hand it supports digestive comfort, and on the other hand it does not drown out the flavors of the dishes?

S.W.: The Polish table is still often dominated by sweetened beverages: juices and colorful bubbles, and water recedes into the background. Meanwhile, in many European countries – such as France, Switzerland and Portugal – it is water that is the natural companion for lunch and dinner, and other drinks appear alongside, not instead of it.

For the holiday table, I especially recommend medium-mineralized waters, roughly in the range of about 300 to 1,500 mg of minerals per liter. Such water supports the digestive system, helps lift heavier, multi-course meals, while not dominating the taste of the food.

When it comes to gas, lightly or moderately carbonated CO₂ waters are the best choice. Overly carbonated water can pierce the taste of dishes and cause discomfort, instead of gently stimulating digestion and cleansing the palate.

For fish, such as herring, or dry dishes, medium-mineralized waters will work well, as they flush the taste buds nicely and stimulate the salivary glands. On the other hand, after very sweet desserts – poppy seed cake, cheesecake, cream cakes – highly mineralized water, with a higher sodium content, can be an interesting option: one glass of such water can literally reset the mouth and give a moment of respite between servings.

Instead of putting only colas or juices on the table, I encourage you to treat water as an equal part of the holiday menu: choose two-three labels with different levels of mineralization, preferably from one manufacturer, and let guests compare. It is not uncommon then to find that the biggest surprise is… ordinary water. Or rather – extraordinary, only finally well-chosen.

Sebastian Widowski – hydrosommelier and expert in the area of premium waters. Author of the Hydrosommelier Academy, the only certification program in Poland that prepares specialists in this field. He runs the hydrosommelier.pl project, which focuses on water consulting for the HoReCa sector. She prepares personalized water cards, supports the selection of beverage offerings, and provides consultation related to water service and education. He works with restaurants, hotels and premium brands to help them develop competencies related to water serving culture.