WISDOM IN WATER

ALUMNA ANISTACIA BARRAK-BARBER CHANNELS A LOVE OF H2O INTO AN IMMERSIVE CAREER.

By Amanda Loudin/Photo by Alyson McClaran

You’re probably familiar with the tasks of a wine sommelier — a professional who specializes in pairing wine with food. But did you know there are water sommeliers? Anistacia Barrak-Barber is one of them, and she’s on a mission to educate people about water.

For Barrak-Barber, enchantment with water began early. “I grew up in the high desert of New Mexico with a noteworthy enthusiasm for water,” she said. “I carried it with me through school and my documentary film career and enjoyed a special passion for sacred springs and taking the waters (using water for health purposes).”

After 25 years in filmmaking, Barrak-Barber decided it was time for a change. As she reflected on what she loved, she realized that water was a unifying theme.

Barrak-Barber researched water careers and learned of the sommelier certification, which she obtained at a German academy in 2017. When she returned to the United States, she enrolled in the Professional Water Studies Online Certificate program at Metropolitan State University of Denver. The set of courses provides students with education in history, law, management and water trends related to the U.S. West. Barrak-Barber in 2018 was among the first students to obtain the certification.

She has since earned a Columbia University Water Center Certificate, and today is pursuing a doctorate with a focus on reputed healing waters.

Barrak-Barber ultimately hopes to turn her water wisdom into a career that leads people to preserve the essential resource. “If I’m touting the beauty and benefits of water, it’s also my responsibility to speak about the fact that many people don’t have access to clean drinking water,” she said.

Barrak-Barber also plans to educate people on the nuances of water as a sommelier. “Some flavor profiles can make or break a meal,” she explained. “If you’re eating sushi with a water that has high mineral content, for example, the water will drown out the flavors of the fish.”

No matter where she ultimately lands — whether working as a sommelier, writing a book on healing waters or educating the public on conservation — you can be sure Barrak-Barber’s career will be steeped in water.