Poor Man’s Perrier (seltzer or club soda)

Perrier is a brand of bottled mineral water from France that is sold in green bottles. Several drinks have been called the “poor man’s Perrier.” Seltzer has been called “poor man’s Perrier” since at least 1980, club soda since 1989 and tap water since 1995.
 
   
Wikipedia: Perrier
Perrier (French pronunciation: [pɛʁ.je]) is a brand of bottled mineral water made from a spring in Vergèze in the Gard département of France. The spring is naturally carbonated. Both the water and natural carbon dioxide gas are captured independently. Then in the bottling process, the carbon dioxide gas is added so that the level of carbonation in bottled Perrier is the same as the water of the Vergèze spring.
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History
The spring in Southern France from which Perrier is drawn was called Les Bouillens. It has been used as a spa since Roman times. Local doctor Louis Perrier bought the spring in 1898 and operated a commercial spa there; he also bottled the water for sale. He later sold the spring to Sir Saint-John Harmsworth, a wealthy British visitor. Harmsworth was the younger brother of the newspaper magnates Lord Northcliffe and Lord Rothermere. He had come to France to learn the language. Dr. Perrier showed him the spring, and he decided to buy it. He sold his share of the family newspapers to raise the money. Harmsworth closed the spa, as spas were becoming unfashionable. He renamed the spring Source Perrier and started bottling the water in distinctive green bottles. The shape was that of the Indian clubs, which Harmsworth used for exercise.
 
Google Books
Deli:
101 New York-Style Deli Dishes, from Chopped Liver to Cheesecake
By Sue Kreitzman
New York, NY: Harmony Books
1985
Pg. 16:
“The third generation calls it [seltzer] poor man’s Perrier, but the first generation still remembers it fondly as the poor man’s Champagne.”
The American Jewish Almanac, 1980
 
Google News Archive
9 October 1989, Boca Raton (FL) News, “Flying south for fall by staying home” by Stanley Goodman, pg. 8A, col. 6:
They liked our club soda, which had a homemade label, “Poor Man’s Perrier: If status is important to you, think Perrier.”
 
Google News Archive
18 August 1995, Gettysburg (PA) Times, “Crossword” by Eugene Sheffer, pg. A9, col. 5:
ACROSS
15 Poor Man’s Perrier?
(The answer is “TAPWATER”—ed.)
     
Piano World Forums
Steve Miller
08/23/02 02:15 PM
Re: The Most Important Question of Our Time
Make mine club soda.
The poor man’s Perrier.
 
Xanga.com
Saturday, August 20, 2005
Posted by: Mtz007
Its come to my attention that Dasani is the poor man’s Perrier. 
 
Follow my logic here.  Dasani is lightly carbonated, like Perrier.  It features an artistic, slightly engraved bottle, like Perrier.  It has a slightly sweet flavor, like Dasani.  It was a Nazi supporter during World War II, like Perrier.
   
Yahoo! Groups: Lexington Town Meeting Members Assoc.
Fwd: [lex-tmma] Bottled water
Posted By: oldboreen
Fri Feb 15, 2008 11:20 pm
Posted By: barrje@...
Fri Feb 15, 2008 5:14 pm
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I generally buy the poor man’s perrier, club soda or seltzer. Seltzer is just H2o and CO2 while club soda has additional sodium bicarbonate added. This could be of concern for those on low-sodium regimens although the amount is rather insignificant.
   
FlyerTalk Forums
greenlotus
Aug 13, 10, 8:07 pm
There is also the poor man’s Perrier, Canada Dry club soda,