Give Me Seltzer: Your Seltzer Stories Archives

This is the section for adding your own seltzer stories. If I get any by email I might add them here as well.

August 25, 2010

An Egg Cream Bar Mitzvah

Below is a lovely story shared by Joan Sussman about replacing an open bar with Egg Creams!

I used to schlep cases of glass seltzer bottles up from my cousin in NJ who had it delivered by Joy Beverage I heard your presentation at Ahavath Sholom and it got me thinking that the last time I had seltzer in glass bottles was 10 years ago when we brought up 10 cases of seltzer for my son's bar mitzvah. We decided against serving liquor as getting a liquor license for the day was exorbitant, we only had wine for kiddush and served seltzer mixed drinks. We also served egg creams, It was a hit! No one missed an open bar. I thought just the kids would want egg creams but alas everyone wanted them. Kept running out of chocolate syrup & milk and the bartender kept running out, literally, for milk & chocolate syrup.

Posted by Barry Joseph, The Effervescent Jew (bjoseph) at 12:05 AM | Comments (0)

March 31, 2010

Welcome Pittsburgh Seltzer Work!

I heard today by email from JS of the new Pittsburgh Seltzer Works. Well, new because he just took it over last December, even though it's been around since 1898. He wrote:

"We still operate a siphon seltzer bottling works here in the steel city. If you ever come across any of the old equipment...bottlers, carbonators, etc...please let me know...folks are enjoying the hand-bottled seltzer, but to keep them happy we are constantly repairing all of the necessary machines. Thanks for the site...it is great...and has been bookmarked for continued reading later. Cheers."

I am fascinated to learn about a new seltzer bottler, rather than ones going out of business, and look forward to interviewing him for the book.

You can not only learn more on their facebook page but also see how they are using modern technology to build relationships with their customers. This is certainly seltzer for the 21st Century.

Posted by Barry Joseph, The Effervescent Jew (bjoseph) at 04:26 PM | Comments (0)

February 15, 2010

Another Video on Making Seltzer

Here's a cool video from GristTV on a variety of ways to make selzter.

Below is their show notes, with more details and context:

Continue reading "Another Video on Making Seltzer"

Posted by Barry Joseph, The Effervescent Jew (bjoseph) at 10:54 PM | Comments (0)

May 06, 2008

No Substitute For the Real Thing

Below is a great email I recently received:

My paternal grandfather, Benjamin Letowsky, owned a seltzer route in Brooklyn from the 1930s to the mid-1940s. My uncle, Jack Letowsky followed in his footsteps and probably was in business until mid-1950s. I recall that their truck was their pride. The seltzer works they used was Brooklyn based, but I can't recall the name. The bottles had the name LETOW etched on to them and were, of course, manufactured in Czechoslovakia. They were mostly blue and white with a few green mixed in. I have only 1 or 2 of them in my possession for memory. If I recall correctly they also sold Cott's soda and U-bet syrups. They frequently complained of sore shoulders and bad backs and had helpers until the seltzer business started to fade. To this day there is no substitute for the real thing - a siphon freshly filled! Norman D. Letow, NYC

Posted by Barry Joseph, The Effervescent Jew (bjoseph) at 10:14 PM | Comments (0)

December 11, 2007

A nice email from a seltzerman

I got an email today that I enjoyed and though I would pass on:

I found your website - not sure if i have any stories but i was a seltzerman - a real one -
my family started in Asbury Park NJ - 1906 - we filled and distributed seltzer - real seltzer trucks.
of course Fox's U-bet Choc syrup also distributed dr browns celray, Hammer Beverages.
Bought seltzer bottles from Bronx Siphon Supplies - if you have any questions about seltzer.
maybe I may have interesting insight.
Hope to hear from you.
Morton Popok - many times I called out seltzerman!
by the way seltzer is in my blood

Wasn't that lovely. In a follow-up email her reported:

have you been to a seltzer station Gomberg? at one time all the ny seltzermen had their bottles filled their - I of course did not because we filled are own bottles - at one time we use the single foot machine that you have pictured on your site - one bottle at a time, then we found a automatic syphon filler - it must have been 50 years old - schlepped it back to the jersey shore - it was heavy - came from downtown Pitt Street.

Posted by Barry Joseph, The Effervescent Jew (bjoseph) at 11:27 PM | Comments (0)

July 14, 2006

Seltzercast 13: Heard at Limmud, Seltzer Bat Mitzvah, a Book Update and more

Learn about Ruth Messinger on Egg Creams, a Seltzer Bat Mitzvah, Heard at Limmud and an update of the first book about Seltzer.

Continue reading "Seltzercast 13: Heard at Limmud, Seltzer Bat Mitzvah, a Book Update and more"

Posted by Barry Joseph, The Effervescent Jew (bjoseph) at 02:53 PM | Comments (0)

July 11, 2005

Is Your Family Name Seltzer?

Over the course of my research I have heard from a number of people whose family name is Seltzer. However, given what I know of the word's history, I don't understand how this can be.

Continue reading "Is Your Family Name Seltzer?"

Posted by Barry Joseph, The Effervescent Jew (bjoseph) at 03:46 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

July 05, 2005

Why I Hate Seltzer

My friend Tim, in Atlanta, had this to say, by Instant Messenger, after the first time he viewed this site:

Continue reading "Why I Hate Seltzer"

Posted by Barry Joseph, The Effervescent Jew (bjoseph) at 05:24 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Blinded By a Seltzer Explosion

Lisa, from Seattle, Washington, recalls the family story about how her great-grandfather was permanently blinded by an exploding seltzer bottle.

Continue reading "Blinded By a Seltzer Explosion"

Posted by Barry Joseph, The Effervescent Jew (bjoseph) at 12:49 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

A Home-Installed Seltzer Faucet

Carol from Chicago sent in her recollections of growing up with a home-installed seltzer faucet.

Continue reading "A Home-Installed Seltzer Faucet"

Posted by Barry Joseph, The Effervescent Jew (bjoseph) at 12:39 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 23, 2005

The Red Star Bottling Company

Paul, from Silver Spring, Maryland, send in the following story about his relatives involvment with the seltzer industry.

Continue reading "The Red Star Bottling Company"

Posted by Barry Joseph, The Effervescent Jew (bjoseph) at 12:34 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 22, 2005

Homemade Seltzer in Israel

Naomi, from Ben Gurion University of the Negev, recently wrote the following about making seltzer at home in Israel:

Continue reading "Homemade Seltzer in Israel"

Posted by Barry Joseph, The Effervescent Jew (bjoseph) at 05:35 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

“Soda Factory” Census Report, 1910

Jeff, from Philadelphia & Minneapolis (I’m not sure exactly how that works), sent me some really cool information about his family getting started in the seltzer business in New Jersey and the census track that shows the occupation as “Sode Factory”.

Continue reading "“Soda Factory” Census Report, 1910"

Posted by Barry Joseph, The Effervescent Jew (bjoseph) at 04:33 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Working for the Southland Beverage Company

Marcia wrote me about her memories of her family working for the Southland Beverage Company in Brooklyn:

Continue reading "Working for the Southland Beverage Company"

Posted by Barry Joseph, The Effervescent Jew (bjoseph) at 04:18 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Israel, Seltzer, and Public Fountains

They say Israel is the land of milk and honey. But I received a fascinating report from a Chava at Lehigh University, who suggests Israel is also the land of free flowing seltzer:

Continue reading "Israel, Seltzer, and Public Fountains"