This hotel in Belfast serves a $40 bottle of water that tastes like, well, water


Since the wealthy apparently don't have enough things to waste their money on, Belfast's 5-star Merchant Hotel now offers guests at its restaurant a water list to go along with its selection of undoubtedly fine wines. Guided by a trained water sommelier, diners can choose to buy water harvested from a rainforest, produced from maple sap, or melted from a Canadian iceberg, the BBC's Chris Buckler reports, noting that a bottle of former Canadian arctic ice will set you back £26, or about $40. The best part is when Buckler tries a blind taste test right in front of the Merchant. Watch the fun, perhaps with a glass of refreshing tap water, below. Peter Weber
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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
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