Ingredients
The water itself (a natural product, bottled at source)
- thermal spring water rising at 57 to 64°C (145°F) in the Arpa river gorge, Vayots Dzor province, at about 2,080 m
- naturally dissolved bicarbonate, sulphate, sodium and calcium, giving a total mineralisation of roughly 4 to 4.5 g per litre
- silicic acid and trace fluoride, which give the faintly salty, slightly soapy mouthfeel
- carbon dioxide, partly natural and topped up at bottling to keep the minerals in solution
The serve
- 1chilled bottle of Jermuk sparkling mineral water at 8 to 10°C (50°F)
- a plain tumbler or a wine glass, no ice
- no lemon, which masks the mineral character
At the table
- served alongside brandy, khash or a heavy meal, as a digestive
Directions
- Rain and snowmelt on the Vayots Dzor highlands sink through volcanic rock, where they pick up carbon dioxide and dissolve minerals over a long underground residence.
- Geothermal heat drives the water back up through fissures, and it emerges at the Jermuk springs at 57 to 64°C (145°F), which is where the town gets its name: jerm means warm.
- At the bottling plant the water is drawn directly from the borehole in a closed system, so it never meets the air and loses no gas.
- It is filtered only mechanically, to remove suspended particles. Nothing is added and nothing is taken out, which is what a natural mineral water designation requires.
- Carbon dioxide is reintroduced to the level found at the source, the water is chilled, filled into glass or PET and capped; there is no chemical treatment and no mineral adjustment.
- To drink it as it is drunk in Armenia, chill the bottle to 8 to 10°C (50°F), open it slowly so it does not foam over, and pour it down the side of a plain glass.
- Drink it with food, particularly with rich or fatty food; the bicarbonate is why it is reached for after khash or a long meal.
- At the spa town itself the water is taken as a cure: warm, straight from a numbered fountain in the drinking gallery, in measured glasses before meals, a Soviet-era protocol still followed by visitors.
Technique
- This is not a recipe and cannot be reproduced at home. Carbonating tap water gives fizz, not mineral content; the character is entirely geological.
- Warm from the spring and cold from the bottle taste like different drinks. The warm water is noticeably more sulphurous and is the version used for the drinking cure.
- Jermuk is a protected Armenian brand and a national symbol, and the town around the springs was built as a Soviet spa resort in the 1950s. Bottles labelled Jermuk are also produced by more than one company drawing on the same field.
- At around 4 g per litre this is a highly mineralised water. It is a table water and a digestive rather than something to drink by the litre all day.
Substitutions
- The closest widely available equivalents are Borjomi from Georgia, which is more strongly sulphurous, and Vichy Catalan from Spain, which has a similar bicarbonate-sodium profile and salty finish.
Variations
- A still bottling is sold alongside the sparkling one and is the version used for the spa cure.
- In Armenian bars sparkling Jermuk is used as the long half of a tall brandy or vodka serve, and as the base for tarkhun, the tarragon soda.
History
Bottled from thermal springs in Vayots Dzor; the spa town, whose name means warm, was developed under Soviet rule.
Frequently asked questions
What is Jermuk?
Jermuk is a drink from Armenia: lightly salty sparkling mineral water from warm mountain springs. Bottled from thermal springs in Vayots Dzor; the spa town, whose name means warm, was developed under Soviet rule.
How long does Jermuk take to make?
Jermuk takes 1 min to pour of preparation and Water spends decades to millennia underground before it reaches the spring of cooking. The recipe makes 1 bottle (750 ml), 3 glasses. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Jermuk?
Yes, within limits. The closest widely available equivalents are Borjomi from Georgia, which is more strongly sulphurous, and Vichy Catalan from Spain, which has a similar bicarbonate-sodium profile and salty finish.
What is the most important thing to get right in Jermuk?
At the bottling plant the water is drawn directly from the borehole in a closed system, so it never meets the air and loses no gas.
