Nestlé expands presence in premium functional water segment

Nestlé USA today announced that it has acquired Essentia Water (“Essentia”), a premium functional water brand headquartered in Bothell, Washington. Essentia pioneered ionized alkaline water more than twenty years ago and is the leading brand in that space in the U.S.

This transaction is part of Nestlé’s continued transformation of its global water business, which was announced in June 2020. The company is sharpening its portfolio to focus on international premium and mineral water brands and healthy hydration products, such as functional water. This follows the agreement to sell Nestlé’s U.S. and Canadian regional spring water brands, purified water business and beverage delivery service announced in February.

Essentia is the leading alkaline water brand and the No. 1 selling bottled water brand in the natural channel. The company uses a proprietary process to ionize water, delivering a clean, smooth taste and a pH of 9.5 or higher. Essentia’s 2020 sales were USD 192 million.

Essentia joins renowned brands Perrier®, S.Pellegrino®, San Pellegrino® and Acqua Panna® as part of the Premium Waters portfolio of Nestlé USA.