By Elazar Abrahams
On a cloudy afternoon last month, Brooklyn’s Industry City came alive with carbonated joy. The inaugural, first-ever SeltzerFest fizzed to life on March 16, inviting lovers of the bubbly beverage to gather and sip unlimited samples of different brands, listen to panels held by industry experts, and celebrate the New York roots of seltzer.
Seltzer has long been a staple of NYC kitchens and delis, but can it carry a whole festival? The answer is a refreshingly crisp yes, with much room to improve should the organizers at Brooklyn Seltzer Museum choose to continue the sold-out event, which drew over 600 folks this time around.
Tastings lined the main floor, with seltzer brands big and small offering samples — some classic, some wildly inventive. Yes, there were LaCroix cans floating around, but local names like Hal’s New York and bespoke soda fountain concoctions stole the spotlight. Each visitor got a ticket to redeem for a free egg cream, the famous mix of seltzer, milk, and chocolate syrup. There were also a couple of tables with older gentlemen explaining seltzer history, as well as representation from affiliated sponsors like the Eldridge Street Synagogue Museum and Yiddish activist group The Workers Circle.
The highlight of the day was the Egg Cream Invitational, a mostly-for-bragging-rights competition that pitted “soda jerks” from around the country against one another for bragging rights and a glimmering Golden Siphon trophy. Watching different variations of the classic syrup–milk–seltzer trifecta being frothed and fussed over was great shtick, and acclaimed director and actor Benny Safdie attending as one of the judges gave it some legitimacy. Local favorite Brooklyn Farmacy and Soda Fountain took home the win!
What stood out was the sincere sense of community and nostalgia. There were workshops and even crafts for kids, but more than anything, it felt like a celebration of New York’s cultural quirks; despite the heavy Jewish influence on seltzer culture, the room looked like one only this city could bring together — wonderfully diverse.
Going forward, I’d love to see a bigger space so there’s room to move around the aisles comfortably, but it’s understandable for this trial run. Time management was a bit of an issue too, with the schedule running late, although arguably part of the charm was that this is a small-scale operation. Better access to bathrooms would be ideal as well.
We eagerly await a SeltzerFest that’s even bigger, bubblier, and Brooklyn-ier.
TV and City 