Sohat

Sohat

Sohat is a Lebanese brand of mineral water that is the leading brand of bottled water in Lebanon,[1] with a 35% market share.[2] The water is light and crisp with low mineral content and almost no sodium.[3] The brand was acquired by Nestlé Waters.

Quick Facts Country, Source ...

Sources

Sohat water is bottled from the Falougha source at an altitude of 1,710 meters in Mount Lebanon. The area of the source, which is 100,000 m2, is a protected environment to maintain the purity of the water. The water is purified by passing through various geological layers, starting with the melted snow that seeps through the permeable soil, then reaches a deep and impermeable layer where it is stored before spurting up to the surface through natural fissures.[4]

History

In 1910, archeologist Habib Zoghzoghy rediscovered Ain Sohat while excavating Roman ruins in Falougha.[3]

Mootch & Muck, a New York-based multi-brand water distributor, distributed Sohat in the United States in the late 1980s.[5]

Société des Eaux Minérales Libanaises S.A.L., the producer of Sohat, was founded in 1970. In 1997, the company aided by Nestlé built an $8-million plant with capacity of 19,200 bottles per hour in Falougha.[2] In 1999, Nestlé Group acquired 49% of Sohat as part of its expansion plan in mineral water.[6] In 2001, Lebanon Perrier Vittel, the water division of Switzerland's Nestlé, purchased the remaining 51 per cent of its stake in Sohat.[7] As of January 23, 2001, Société des Eaux Minérales Libanaises S.A.L. operates as a subsidiary of Nestle S.A.[8] The Zoghzoghy family did not release the reason why they sold their share after 50 years of being at the helm of the water-bottling business.[2]

In literature

  • In a Villa Far Away by Annabelle Hampton
"Giving up, saying I looked tired and pale, he produced a small bottle of Sohat Pure Water, 'from the springs of Lebanon' according to the label."
  • American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis
"You forgot Alpenwasser, Downunder, Sohat, which is from Lebanon, Qubol and Cold Springs--"

References

  1. Research on the "cost of Non-Europe": pt. A-B. The "cost of non-Europe" in the foodstuffs Industry, Commission of the European Communities
  2. Green M. and Green Timothy. The best bottled waters in the world: the 150 purest, most delicious, and healthful waters from Ain Sofat to Zurich, page 19
  3. Kanner, Bernice. "On the Water Front," New York Magazine, Vol. 21, No. 19, 9 May 1988, page 30
  4. Gray and Needles. Financial accounting: a global approach, page 499
  5. MEED: Volume 45, Issues 1-13; Volume 45, Issues 1-13

Share this article:

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article Sohat, and is written by contributors. Text is available under a CC BY-SA 4.0 International License; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.