Newsflash: You have been drinking water wrong!

When you think of fancy drinks, the first few that come to mind tend to be alcoholic beverages like fine wine, some very old whiskey, a top-shelf vodka or a bottle of the best champagne. 

Not just sparkling wine, actual champagne.

You won't really consider water to be a super expensive drink since every human on Earth has the right to water, it's tasteless and just for hydration purposes.

After all, it does run freely from our taps, unlike Coca-Cola.

There have also always been people who say you can taste the "difference in water" when referring to different brands of bottles water, tap water, etc.

You might be one of those people or you never believed them.

As it has now been revealed: they are right.

Have you ever heard of a wine sommelier? 

A wine sommelier, or a wine steward, is an absolute expert on the subject. Every high-class restaurant has at least one and their job is to compile the wine list, work with the culinary team and the wine vendors. They also know everything there is to know about proper wine etiquette, serving protocol, and more. Basically everything you could possibly know about wine.

While that might seem impressive, you will be shocked to know that South Africa now has its first-ever water sommelier!

Candice Jansen is SA's very first, and only, certified sommelier and she is busting all the typical water myths and misconceptions that you might have been led to believe over the years.

According to Jansen, there are ways in which you can consume water that will help amplify its taste.

Water gets its distinct taste from minerals like calcium, sodium, and magnesium which make up Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) that can be found in water and the levels of these TDS's determine how "heavy" the water is.

Drinking water and drinking wine have a lot of similarities. 

Water also has mouthfeel and can be aerated, like when you're drinking your wine and you swish it around in your mouth.

According to Business Insider, however, there is one big difference between wine and water tasting - odour.

If your water smells funky, it probably is and you should NOT be drinking it!

Here are Candice Jansen's top tips for getting the most out of your hydration experience:

1. Water should not be chilled because it makes sit too cold to taste. Instead, you should be drinking it at room temperature.
2. NO LEMON OR CUCUMBER! Any garnish is apparently the archenemy of water and destroys the tase completely.
3. Use the right drinking glass. Any water sommelier will judge people drinking water from tumblers. Wine is served in a wine glass and remains elevated above the table because of the value the beverage holds. So why must water remain on the table when it too can be acknowledged as being special and should be more valued?
4. Finally, NO ICE. Especially if the water from the ice is from a different water source. Just keep the water at room temperature in order to better taste the different nuances in the water instead of chugging ice-cold tasteless water down your throat.

But believe it or not, that's not all.

Jansen also explained that like wine and chocolate, you can pair water.

These waters enhance the flavours of the foods or drinks they have been paired with.

Coffee

You can use natural water and normal coffee pairs well with water that has medium minerality (TDS is 250- 800mg/l).

Water with high minerality for espresso and lattes, cappuccinos and other coffees with milk, medium minerality water works best.

You should also take sips of water between each coffee sip to cleanse your palette.

So there you have it, no more bland drinks of water, only water with full-bodied bursts of flavour!

Want to learn more about water? Watch this hilarious Conan O'Brien interview with world-renowned water sommelier, who is also America's first, Martin Riese: 

Want to catch up on all your favourite duo's best moments? Listen to everything #StaceyAndJSbu below:

Main image courtesy of iStock