Drinking: Clean Fun in Beverly Hills

How about a glass of bubbly from the Mount Fuji region, or perhaps a cool Belgian vintage? If you think these are exotic wines, think again: we’re talking water here. The latest drinking hole on Beverly Hills’ Rodeo Drive has a trendy look — a neon sign, Chinese slate tiles, a soaring skylight — and an even trendier concept. The Water Bar serves no alcohol, only 53 varieties of H2O from 20 countries, including sparkling vintages from China, Rumania and the Soviet Union, at $1 to $2 a bottle.

A menu features water trivia and information about each brand, including its mineral content and principal uses. For example, Borjomi from the Soviet Union is both “good for a hangover” and “great on a Monday morning.” The bartender dispenses opinions (Mexico’s Penafiel is good for Montezuma’s revenge) and engaging lore (Michelangelo not only drank Italy’s Fiuggi but bathed, soaked and cooked in it). “It’s amazing how many differences there are in bouquets and flavors between brands,” says proprietor Steve Mills, who opened the bar last week inside Ixi:z, his newly built clothing “gallery.” Mills serves his water only in its “purest sense,” in the original bottle, garnished with a chic black drinking straw, sans lemon, lime or ice, which would “void the taste.” What about free tap water? Sorry, not a drop to drink.