Beverages

No other beverage is as important as water—used to make coffee, tea, and soft drinks, and of growing stature in its own right, at least insofar as the bottled varieties are concerned.

The U.S. is the largest consumer market for bottled water in the world, followed by Mexico, China, and Brazil. In 2008, U.S. bottled water sales topped 8.6 billion gallons, 28.9% of the U.S. beverage market. Sales of bottled water exceeded those of all other beverages except carbonated soft drinks, fruit juices, and sports drinks.