This post has been sponsored by Aur'a Sparkling Gold Water. All opinions expressed are my own.

Today we're shifting a focus from our wine reviews to take a look at a few bottles of sparkling luxury water from Aur'a, in particular their sparkling gold water. Yes, this is quite literally water with gold in it.

Aur'a is a brand of natural spring waters, sourced from Transylvania's Golden Hawk Mountains, an area that was mind in ancient times for the precious metal that is the defining feature of today's water - gold. The water reaches the surface naturally, filtered by sand, gravel, cobble, and clay, with Aur'a doing blissfully 'nothing' to the water along the way, other than passing it through particle filters. This leaves the water 100% natural, ensuring that it passes from mountain to bottle entirely intact and unblemished.

The gold content comes courtesy of Gold Hawk Mountain itself, with the water passing over gold veins, which leech the mineral into the water.

With the introductions out of the way, let's get tasting.

Tasting - The Review

True to its name, this line of water contains trace amounts of gold. Aur'a waters are available in three varieties; with gold, with silver, or with gold 'and' silver, in addition to being available in sparkling or 'still.' These trace elements are 'not' added to the water prior to bottling, but rather seep into the water due to where the water is sourced.

While I'm not qualified to comment on the purported health benefits of gold and silver, or of mineral water in general, I 'am' qualified to comment on the taste and texture. Spoiler: It's delicious.

In terms of texture, the water has a very 'smooth yet dense' mouthfeel, which typifies higher end mineral waters. If this were wine, this is what might be described as 'faint but noticeable minerality with a hint of gravel.' In terms of taste, it's crisp and pure on the palate. While this is certainly a pleasure to drink on its own, I can easily see this being used as a base for higher-end, more meticulously crafted cocktails. Here on Living the Gourmet, we actually put together an absinthe cocktail using this water.

If you aren't afraid of spending a few extra dollars on your next mineral water, I definitely recommend giving Aur'a a try. It's an experience.

What to Eat with Aura Gold Water

Let's start off by defining down what differentiates the taste of one water from another - impurities.

"The natural substance water, per se, tends to be tasteless," wrote Aristotle, and modern science has since proven him right. We do not taste water itself, but rather the 'stuff' dissolved in water.

According to Alexandra Ossola, writing for Cooks Illustrated in 2017 the 'taste' of water depends on 'the route it traveled to get to you.' That is to say, "What did it pick up along the way?" By contrast, the aptly dubbed 'ultrapure water,' for example, is devoid of 'any' impurities or solids (it's used for cleaning sensitive computer equipment) and has precisely no taste. Not only that, it leaves the mouth parched and your insides stripped of minerals due to the naturally occurring negative charge of a wholly 'pure' hydrogen and oxygen solution.

With all of that said, what does that mean for pairing water and food? There are two basic rules, and they are:

1) Contrast in Texture. According to Michael Micha if FineWaters, "Sometimes contrasting the texture of the food allows for enhanced pleasures. An example of this would be pairing sashimi with a light sparkling water.

2) Don't Overwhelm. While fizzy waters, particularly well textured sparkling mineral waters, can stand up to the robust flavors and textures of something like a spicy red sauce or fatty meats, the opposite is true of gentler, less effervescent mineral waters, or 'still mineral waters. With these waters, think of leafy green salads, light starters, light seafood, or garlic and oil sauces.

With that in mind, I'm of the opinion that Aur'a Gold Mineral Water, being 'lightly effervescent,' but with a pleasant mouthfeel, is one that pairs best with salads and lighter foods. I could easily imagine enjoying it alongside something like my Greek Salad Pita Pockets or with my Summer Cucumber Salad.

Think light, think crisp, and avoid overwhelming the nuances that make Aur'a Sparkling Gold Water so delightful.

**Aur'a Sparkling Gold Water is offering 20% off any order placed for our LTG readers when you use the promo code LivingtheGourmet at checkout!