West Chester Native Launches Glacier-Sourced 'Fine Water' Biz

WEST CHESTER, PA — Water from an above-ground Alaskan glacier is among premium water products growing in popularity here, and one woman from West Chester has partnered with a bottler to serve it here.

West Chester native Angela Cooper is pitching a new type of bottled water. "Fine Waters" are naturally sourced, premium bottled waters popular in Europe, but aren't widely available in the United States. Her company, Soho Waterworks, is out to change that, marketing Fine Water with in-store demos, tastings, and digital marketing to area restaurants.

Cooper was 15 when she decided to drop out of high school to help pay for her dad's disability bills. At 16 she secured a job, as the youngest teller at the esteemed Philadelphia Saving Fund Society — at the time, one of the largest savings banks in the country. She went on to become a successful entrepreneur, building a mortgage business in five states.

Cooper launched Soho Waterworks in 2019 with a passion to help educate consumers and retailers alike about the amazing story behind Fine Waters.

Cooper now maintains residences in both West Chester and Brooklyn, NY. She said she sees the fine water being introduced by sommeliers at restaurants in a similar fashion to fine wines. Sourced from artesian wells, glacier-fed lakes, and aquifers, fine waters may be the next premium beverage at high-end restaurants, enhancing dining experiences. A unique subculture is forming in which there are specific guidelines for food pairing, among other practices which are common in the wine industry, a Soho Waterworks news released explained.

"We are excited about our partnership with this one-of-a-kind fine water from the United States," said Angela Cooper, founder, and chief executive officer of Soho Waterworks. "As the first bottled water carried on our platform, our services will help increase awareness and sales of Clear Alaskan Glacial. We couldn't be more pleased to be marketing this premium water product to retailers nationwide."

Alaskan Glacier Products (AGP), the bottler of Clear Alaskan Glacial, tapped Soho Waterworks' platform as the company's first customer. Clear Alaskan Glacial is the only bottled water in the United States whose source is an above-ground glacier. The product is benefiting from Soho Waterworks’ turn-key sales and marketing solutions including social media, public relations, and in-store promotions. Soho Waterworks’ integrated marketing communications are helping Clear Alaskan Glacial reach more customers, the news release said.

"Soho Waterworks has helped us achieve a national footprint," said Sara Randall, brand marketing consultant to Alaska Glacier Products. "As a regional bottler of premium water, we just don’t have the resources to reach all the markets in the United States. Soho’s cohesive distribution services give us power to break into more markets with sales and promotion we simply couldn’t afford on our own."

Sourced from Alaska’s Eklutna Lake, Clear Alaskan Glacial water is characterized by exceptional taste and contains 110 milligrams of total dissolved solids (TDS) of 100 mg/per liter, delivering a superb balance of minerals for performance and taste. The product is also naturally alkaline, with an average of approximately 7.8 on the pH scale.

Clear Alaskan Glacial is internationally acclaimed for its taste and has won numerous water quality awards. In fact, it is the only water from the United States to have received a medal at the 2017 Gourmet Waters International Competition in Lyon, France. It also won the 2018 Silver Award for best taste from the Fine Water Society.