Jermuk is a bottled mineral water originating from the town of Jermuk in the province of Vayots Dzor, Armenia. The water has been bottled since 1951.
Currently, the brand is bottled and produced by the Jermuk Group CJSC, founded in 1999 in Jermuk, and is classified into 2 categories: Jermuk Classic mineral carbonated water, and Jermuk Millennium mineral mildly carbonated water. In 2015–16, the factory of "Jermuk Mayr Gortsaran" founded in 1951 was acquired by the Jermuk Group.
The annual production of bottled natural and mineral water in Armenia is about 12 billion drams, about 30% of which is exported. More than 1200 people work in the sphere. As of December 2017, the company was planning to produce products worth more than 5 billion drams a year, of which about 50% was going to be exported. With the construction of the new factory, the number of jobs in the company was planned to increase by about 15%.
History
The area of Jermuk was first mentioned in writing in 189 AD, when the Jermuk fortress was built, with the eponymous town being founded some time later. According to historical records, Jermuk was the summer residence of the Armenian princes of the neighbouring province of Syunik.
The first surveys of the area around Jermuk (including the composition and properties of its mineral waters) were made in 1830 by the Russian geologist and engineer G. Dzoyokoyev-Boykikov; these did not result in the commercial exploitation of mineral water, however.