A group of businessmen has hatched a plan to bottle and sell Bermuda's rain water.

But for now at least, the Bermuda Rain label will read, "Bottled in Florida.'' The first load of the new bottled water arrived on Sunday, not straight from the heavens, but aboard the container ship Somers Isles .

"Our goal is to bottle in Bermuda,'' said Canadian Mr. Ray Brow, who came up with the idea for the product. But for now, "that wasn't cost effective.'' None of the local bottlers is equipped to handle the plastic bottles in which water is normally sold.

Instead, the Bermuda Rain Group had to fill a 4,800-litre container with rain water from Gosling Bros. Ltd., ship it to Silver Springs, Florida, and wait for it to come back in half-litre and 1.5-litre plastic bottles.

Bermuda Rain is expected in the stores by the end of this week as the product is launched to coincide with the annual Brut Gold Cup yacht race.

Billed as "the preferred drink of Bermudians since 1609,'' Bermuda Rain is eventually intended for export, with carbonated and flavoured versions also on tap.

First, it will be tested in the local market, where it is also expected to appeal to visitors as a souvenir.

Why would Bermudian pay for a product they can get for free? "It will be a convenience thing,'' just as Bermudians now buy bottled water like Evian at sporting events, Mr. Brow said. And just as many North Americans do not trust their tap water, some Bermudians do not have faith in the quality of their tanks.

Catchments used by Bermuda Rain will be stringently tested and maintained, he said.

Mr. Brow, who came to Bermuda to open a private nursing home, was having Perriers with partners Mr. Don Mackenzie, Mr. Greg Vasic, and Mr. Richard Zuill when the Bermuda Rain lightning struck.

"As an outsider to Bermuda, it struck me as very unusual that all the waters available in supermarkets and in restaurants were from away, when the best water I had ever tasted fell on our heads,'' Mr. Brow told The Royal Gazette .

In future, a sloped glass bottle is planned, as are special "tropical storm'' editions of Bermuda Rain. T-shirts, caps, and a line of rain gear are also on line. Mr. Brow is even hoping to sell Bermuda Rain as an ingredient in shampoos and other eco-friendly products.

And for this product, the sky truly is the limit. Mr. Brow has already reserved trademarks for Hawaiian Rain and Amazon Rain, among others.

Bermuda Rain will be distributed by Gosling's.