A globally-known Macclesfield water brand wants you make you rethink your relationship with water.

Crag Spring Water, are a sustainable bottled spring water company which operate from The Crag Inn, in rural Macclesfield.

The Wildboarclough company bottle at source, and are the only bottled spring water venture in the North of England that reuses their glass bottles.

This is better for the environment as by choosing Crag, you'll prevents more glass or plastic bottles being created in the water industry, which use up significant electrical energy and subsequently, carbon emissions.

You may have seen still or sparkling water being sold at Macclesfield businesses such as the Picturedrome, who let Doran and his team collect and reuse the bottles as their main water supplier.

A stark improvement for the environment compared to when they used bin and recycling bottles under their old, non-local water supplier. The two parties estimate they have saved 7,000 bottles a month from going to recycling, by simply reusing them.

But the best place to taste the natural Macclesfield spring water is at The Crag Inn's very own water bar.

Receiving worldwide media attention in the autumn, as the UK's first water bar, Macclesfield Nub News was kindly invited to taste not just Crag Spring Water, but some of the world's best waters.

Doran Binder (49) who moved in at The Crag in 2016, only intended to run the pub for a year.

But after discovering a stream of water ran directly through the pub, from a source 88 feet below the pub, Doran's eco-friendly empire of bottling water began.

He is now is a qualified water sommelier and is your host for an affordable water tasting experience, which given the human need for water, is truly, something for everyone.

The full water tasting session lasts an hour and costs £15, or a tenner for half-an-hour.

The full experience includes ten spring or sparkling waters for you to drink - two of which are the Crag brand - sourced and bottled in Wildboarclough.

Doran will share his watery wisdom on everything from mineral contents to food pairings, for his own or other water bottle brands.

From water which resembles a spicy feeling, to ones that will 'make the hairs on the back of your throat stand out', every drink is presented with boundless enthusiasm by Mr Binder.

In fact, you'll notice immediately when meeting Binder, he radiates positive energy.

The gorgeous surrounding countryside of The Crag, and the ethos of his environmentally-friendly business, have put a wide smile on his face.

It also becomes clear when conversing with the knowledgable water bartender, that his company also aims to do social good.

He employs water bottlers from Macclesfield's The Rossendale Trust, the Sutton good cause which provides supported living care to adults with learning and physical disabilities. Doran has also given his children jobs bottling Crag.

Crag is bottled right on our doorstep, before they are sent allacross the country. Macclesfield's King of Water has even refused mega-money orders around the world, as the carbon emissions would have been too much.

This is a man who clearly wants to do good, you can easily root for, and want to genuinely succeed.

And his beautiful product also has other societal benefits. In fact, the water-expert, pub owner and dad can talk for hours about the nutritional values of any bottle of water.

"Water is great because it is good for you," he said.

"And when you start playing around with different mineral contents at our tasting experience, you realise they are all so different.

"One of the reasons why I wanted to introduce Macclesfield to all these types of waters is health.

"It is teaching the health benefits of minerality in water. We've [humans] have moved so far away from how we used to drink water as humans, and how we have evolved.

"We have become so dependent on a drug from a pharmacy, but I have a few Polish friends who drink a certain water for the health benefits. Instead of a multi-vitamin tablet, they'll take that.

"Water has got no sugar in it, it is naturally occurring and it is not processed. We should be thinking about what is in it more and how it can benefit us, rather than what just comes out of a tap.

"My kids are like junior sommeliers, when they go to someone's house and are offered a glass of tap water the first thing they do is sniff it.

"If it is chlorine smelling, they will look at me with panic!"

Aside Crag Spring Water and Crag Sparkling, our favourite waters offered at Doran's bar is natural carbonated Vichy Catalan, or bold carbonated drink Borjomi.

The countryside of Macclesfield has some excellent pubs, but all of them can give you a hangover.

And while The Crag Inn still does sell alcohol, their water tasting experience could be the perfect hangover cure.

Speaking from this writer's experience, their delicately carbonated Crag Sparkling Water does help a sore head!

"A pint of beer and scampi wasn't enough to get people here, but now we have a reason for people to come here," added Doran.

"Now that we've launched the water bar, In the future I want schools to home along and teach the importance of water, bottling and what we are all about.

"For example, we estimate it takes at least three times more energy to melt and reform a bottle as it does to wash and sanitise it.

"The costs are hard to pin down, but it is worth it for the environmental benefits."

You can even order individual shots of the 30 waters on offer at Doran's bar, for a cheaper price than the tasting experience, simulating the camaraderie of an alcoholic shot, but of course, without the alcohol.

But whether it is the shorter or longer water tasting experience you book, after a water-tasting trip to The Crag, you're left feeling euphoric from Doran's energy, and refreshed from the vitamin content of the waters.

From the war on plastic to general apathy towards corporations during the pandemic, discourse surrounding the water industry has become very cynical in recent years, but The Crag brand proves it doesn't have to be.

A perfect family weekend day out, and a magnificently nutritious pit stop if going on a countryside walk. The Crag Inn's water tasting experience can be booked in advance, or paid for by walk-ins.

The Crag Inn and their Water Tasting bar is open from Monday to Friday 11-4, and Saturday to Sunday 12-4.

You can book the affordable 30-minute and 60-minute water tasing courses on 01260 227239, starting from just £10 per person.

You can follow Crag Spring Water on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Order enquiries can be submitted through their website.

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