Perrier
Perrier is sourced from the Les Bouillens spring in Vergèze, Gard, in southern France. The spring is naturally carbonated: underground, volcanic CO₂ meets mineral water that has permeated through calcium carbonate layers. During bottling, the water and gas are captured independently, purified, and recombined so that the carbonation level in the bottle matches that of the spring. The spring was developed as a spa from the 1860s; Dr Louis Perrier took over the company and began bottling at source, and the brand was subsequently shaped by St John Harmsworth, who is credited with the distinctive bottle shape. Perrier holds natural mineral water status. The brand was acquired by Nestlé in 1992 for approximately $2.6 billion.
Mineral composition
| mg/L | |
|---|---|
| Calcium | 150 |
| Magnesium | 4 |
| Sodium | 10 |
| Sulfate | 25 |
| Chloride | 20 |
| Bicarbonate | 420 |
Compositions can vary by season and source. Read our methodology.
Mineral character
Perrier is a hard, calcium-and-bicarbonate-dominant sparkling water. Bicarbonate is the highest ion at 420 mg/L, with calcium at 150 mg/L and magnesium at a comparatively low 3.9 mg/L, giving a total hardness of 391 mg/L as CaCO₃. The calcium-to-magnesium ratio is roughly 38:1, which is unusually skewed toward calcium; most waters in the database sit between 2:1 and 5:1. Sulphate (25.3 mg/L), chloride (19.5 mg/L), and sodium (9.6 mg/L) are all moderate. TDS is approximately 456 mg/L.
Use-case suitability
- CoffeeAppears in blends for London.
- TeaNot used in any current tea recipe. Hardness 391 mg/L is above the 37–59 mg/L range of these targets.
- BrewingAppears in blends for Burton-on-Trent, Dortmund, and Dublin.
- BakingAppears in blends for Neapolitan Pizza (Naples) and Paris Baguette.
- AquariumAppears in blends for Betta Splendens, Discus, and Planted Tank (CO2).
- HorticultureNot used in any current horticulture recipe. Hardness 391 mg/L is above the 12–54 mg/L range of these targets.
Used in these recipes
Betta Splendens
Freshwater tropical
12% in blend
US
Burton-on-Trent
Burton-on-Trent, UK
19% in blend
FR
Discus
Amazon basin
19% in blend
US
Dortmund
Dortmund, DE
25% in blend
FR, UK, US
Dublin
Dublin, IE
80% in blend
FR, UK, US
London
London, UK
55% in blend
FR, UK, US
Neapolitan Pizza (Naples)
Neapolitan Pizza (Naples), IT
30% in blend
UK
Paris Baguette
Paris Baguette, FR
50% in blend
FR, UK, US
Planted Tank (CO2)
Freshwater planted
18% in blend
US
Where to buy
UK
Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose
£2.00-3.00 per litre
US
Walmart, Target, Whole Foods, Kroger
$1.50-2.50 per litre
FR
Carrefour, Leclerc, Auchan, Intermarché, Lidl FR
€0.50-0.70 per litre
Perrier is widely available internationally. In the UK it is stocked at Tesco, Sainsbury’s, and Waitrose at approximately £2.00–3.00 for 750 mL (as of March 2026). In France it is available at all major retailers at €0.50–0.70. In the US it is stocked at Walmart, Target, Whole Foods, and Kroger at $1.50–2.50. Sold as sparkling only, in glass and PET bottles across a range of sizes. Flavoured variants exist but are not covered in the TWD database.