Customized coffee at Starbucks means a tall nonfat caramel macchiato with extra whipped cream. But for Starbucks itself, the company calls on a Camarillo-based firm for customized water to make those trademark drinks.

And Starbucks isn’t alone. Peet’s Coffee, Claim Jumper and the Bacara Resort & Spa all call on Cirqua Customized Water to supply just the right water for their food and drinks.

“Our system creates uniformity of water quality,” said Cirqua founder David Beeman. “We can strip out and add back select amounts of minerals and there will be no variation. We standardize and stabilize the mineral variable.”

All water contains various minerals, generally known as total dissolved solids, or TDS, which can change the flavor profile of water. When that water is used to make coffee, tea and other beverages, a slight change in the water’s mineral makeup can have a drastic effect on the flavor.

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