Starbucks water.

Starbucks Corp. is known for its coffee, of course, but it sells bottled water as well--and soon that water will come from Santa Monica-based Ethos Brands LLC.

Starbucks bought privately held Ethos for about $8 million in cash, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Ethos Brands' bottled water, marketed under the name Ethos Water, will replace Calistoga-based Crystal Geyser Water Co. products this summer in about 4,300 company-operated U.S. stores.

Prior to its sale, Ethos Water products were distributed to natural foods stores.

Alan Hilowitz, a spokesman for Seattle-based Starbucks, said the company generated $25 million in revenues last year from bottled water sales. That's only a fraction of total revenues of nearly $5.3 billion for the year ended Oct. 3, 2004.

Starbucks was drawn to Ethos because of that company's emphasis on social responsibility, according to Hilowitz. That includes pledges to help citizens of developing countries get clean water by supporting water projects.

"The acquisition of the brand really leverages our corporate social responsibility leadership," he said. "It is really an integral part of how the company puts together our long-term strategic plan."

Starbucks' social responsibility image was tarnished a bit when the company signed a deal to produce a coffee liqueur with Jim Beam, the liquor-producing arm of Fortune Brands Inc. That pact prompted Pax World Funds Inc., a socially responsible mutual fund that avoids companies selling alcohol, to divest itself of $23.4 million in Starbucks stock.

Staff reporter Rachel Brown can be reached by phone at [phone], ext. 224, or by e-mail at [e-mail].