B.C. couple turns glacier drink to gold
http://www.alpineglacierwater.net/
Alpineglacierwater.net’s $30 US-a-bottle water a winner in international ritzy ‘water bar’ market - rhere is huge demand for luxury water
A Westbank couple is cashing in on the lucrative American luxury market — with high-end Canadian glacial water selling for $30 US a bottle.
Tim and Andrea Bates, of Alpine Glacier Water Inc., launched their 10 Thousand BC water — drawn from the Coast Glacier Range 320 kilometres north of Vancouver — in January.
Now, six months later, it’s one of the most prestigious and expensive bottles among the 76 varieties on sale at a just established “water bar” in Bill and Hillary Clinton’s adopted hometown of Chappaqua, N.Y.
The converted Via Genova cafe in the ritzy community about 90 minutes’ drive north of New York City sells 10 Thousand BC for $30 US a bottle.
At $55 US, a bottle of Tennessee-sourced Bling H2O will set you back the most. As the name suggests, it comes with Swarovski crystals attached.
“The 10 Thousand BC is my most luxurious water,” says Via Genova owner Diane Felicissimo.
“If you’re talking about just water, that’s my most elite bottle, and people love it with a salad.”
Tim Bates said he always knew there would be a huge demand for luxury water.
He and his partners stumbled upon the glacier nine years ago, he said, and bought the rights in 1999, waiting for the luxury market to emerge. They chose the name, 10 Thousand BC, to honour the age of the glacier.
“We believed in big things for this water and we just took a leap of faith to make it happen,” Bates said.
“If you had to jump in your car and a plane to try and find a glacier source, that would cost you a lot of money; we bring that source to you in a high-end package.”
The company pumps about 453,600 litres at a time, shipping it by barge to the Alpine Glacier’s bottling plant in Westbank, near Kelowna.
It’s then distributed to the U.S., Germany and Eastern Canada.
The high-class water has become so popular, the company has been invited to showcase the product in gift bags at the Academy Awards, the Cannes Film Festival and the Las Vegas Real Estate Awards.
