Crystal Geyser sparkles its way to the top

With no shortage of holiday entertaining on tap in the coming months, we present what is both the easiest way to jazz up a get-together, and a nod to the designated-driver crowd — sparkling water.

It’s almost overwhelming how many choices there are these days, from fancy glass-bottled imports to mineral and spring waters from local sources.

We tried as many as we could find in our regular markets, sticking to actual sparkling waters rather than seltzers or club sodas, which can have added sodium. We even threw in a ringer — regular water carbonated using the popular SodaStream machine.

We also used a slightly different scoring system, skipping the usual marks for appearance, because, frankly, the waters all looked the same. Instead, equal weight was given to taste and texture.

The tasting was tough and technical, but in the end, one of the brands was well ahead of the pack.

Crystal Geyser (99 cents for a 1.25-liter plastic bottle at Whole Foods) sparkled so much that it landed in our Taster’s Choice Hall of Fame, reserved for prod- ucts than score 80 or more out of a possible 100 points.

This “pleasantly fizzy” water had a “clean taste” that was “bright on the palate.” Better still, it had “large” “bubbles that last,” adding “some depth” to the flavor and texture. Four would buy and the fifth might.

In second place was the bottled sparkling water from Whole Foods ($1.19 for a 1-liter glass bottle at Whole Foods). Panelists liked the “very pure” and “clean” taste of this sparkling water, as well as the “fun” feeling of the “small bubbles.” Three would buy and two might.

Third place went to Calistoga ($1.49 for a 1-liter plastic bottle at Trader Joe’s). This “crisp” water was mostly described as having a “neutral” flavor, so some tasters found it “a bit salty.” Bubbles-wise, it had “lots of fairly big” ones that gave it a “nice fizz.” Two would buy while three might.

Finishing fourth was Mountain Valley ($1.59 for a 1-liter glass bottle at Rainbow). This was more of a “lightly carbonated” water with “gentle bubbles” that “don’t tickle” the throat. A few tasters also found it “mineral-y” with a slightly “acidic” finish. Three would buy, one might and one would not.

Meanwhile, on the opposite end of the spectrum, the “very fizzy” sparkling mineral water from Fresh & Easy ($1.29 for a 1-liter glass bottle at Fresh & Easy) rounded out the top five. So fizzy that it was “almost harsh,” this water also had a “salty, mineral finish.” Two would buy, one might and two would not.

As for the SodaStream-carbonated water? While it had “abundant fizz,” our version, made using regular tap water, was also universally disliked.