BENGALURU: Swaha Sircar, a citybased PR professional, began infusing fruit in the drinking water back home after noticing the practice in several city restaurants. She simply drops slices of apples, cucumber, orange or just lemon and mint into her jug of drinking water.
Serving a glass of plain drinking water is now seen as lifeless. Tapping into the rising popularity of healthy dining and farm-to-table menus, infused water is becoming a must-serve at diners.
Thus glamourising the complimentary drinking water is not only a show of the eatery’s creativity and their concern for the customer’s health, it also gives the customer something extra at no cost.
“Not everyone wants to spend on cocktails. Fruit and herb water makes for a refreshing beverage. It adds visual appeal too. In day-to-day life, people don’t pay attention to vitamin requirements. Serving infused water restores balance,” says Ranveer Sabhani, business head (south) for Smoke House Deli. Deli’s water jugs have different infusions — rosemary, chia seeds, or orange and mint — every day.
Water with such infusions also goes with a — albeit, unsaid — “safe” tag. It removes the need to buy bottled water.
Go Native in Jayanagar does not serve bottled mineral water at all. The organic veg café serves lemon and mint-flavoured water in its jugs. Jenny Pinto, its menu consultant, notes, “Health comes first for Bengalureans. Since the eatery is all about organic food, serving infused water seemed only logical.
Lemon and mint water is good for digestion and is being welcomed by diners.” “In the summer, infusing water with fruits and herbs helps provide hydration and keeps guests away from the downside of excess sugar and artificial flavouring,” adds Bombay Brasserie’s Vivekanand Patil.
Burma Burma, which is yet to open, plans to serve water infused with cinnamon, mandarin, lemon rind, cardamom and cloves.
Departmental store Foodhall serves its visitors infused water in the summer. WeWork, a coworking space, serves its employees and visitors water infused with pineapple, orange, watermelon or strawberries raspberry, grapefruit and basil.
Infused water, however, is not a new trend. In Kerala, both homes and eateries have long had the tradition of infusing water with a particular root that turns the water pink and aids digestion.
“We are only going back to our roots now and quenching our thirst in a trendy way,” said F&B expert Aslam Gafoor.
