Cel-Ray & Cream Soda
Chapter 5 — Sides, Sweets & Drinks: The Peripheral Experience
The world is awash in neon cream sodas, but in the American bagel shop, a proper soda is a golden, effervescent elixir of pure vanilla or a sharp, peppery slap of toasted celery seed. Invented on the Lower East Side as nerve tonics, these two legendary beverages are the fiercely carbonated palate cleansers required for the fatty glory of a proper pastrami on rye or an everything-and-lox. Build the syrups with obsession, store them in your fridge, and assemble the drinks with the exactness of a seasoned counterman: syrup first, then ice, and a slow pour of seltzer drawn up from the bottom. No bruised bubbles. No compromises.
Before you start
Build the golden vanilla base.
Combine the organic cane sugar, one cup of the filtered water, and kosher salt in a saucepan over medium-high heat until clear. Simmer undisturbed for exactly five minutes, remove from the heat, and whisk in the vanilla bean paste to protect its volatile floral notes. Cool completely before chilling.
Extract the volatile oils for the celery base.
Toast the whole celery seeds in a dry pan for thirty seconds until highly fragrant. Immediately add the remaining one cup of water, white sugar, and lemon peel, stirring over medium-high heat until dissolved. Bring just to a boil, remove from the heat, and steep covered for exactly one hour before straining to prevent bitter tannins from ruining the syrup.
Ingredients
- organic granulated cane sugar1 cup
- granulated white sugar1 cup
- filtered water2 cup
- vanilla bean paste1 tbsp
- kosher salt1/8 tsp
- whole celery seeds2 tbsp
- fresh lemon peel1 small strip
- premium seltzer24 oz
- ice2 cup
Method
- 01
Lay the foundation in a heavy-bottomed glass.
Dispense exactly two tablespoons of either the chilled vanilla or celery syrup into the bottom; resist the urge to over-pour, as balance and a dry finish are everything.
- 02
Pack the glass with ice.
Fill the glass three-quarters of the way with solid, standard cubes to provide structure for the seltzer.
- 03
Pour the seltzer with reverence.
Slowly top the glass to the rim with the most highly carbonated seltzer you can find.
- 04
Pull the syrup upward to integrate the drink.
Plunge a long bar spoon to the bottom and gently draw the heavy syrup up through the seltzer two or three times; never stir vigorously, or you'll murder the carbonation before it hits the table.
Notes
Sourcing the right bubbles is non-negotiable.
Use pure seltzer rather than club soda; the added minerals in club soda will clash with the salt and botanicals in these syrups. If using a home carbonator, crank it to the maximum setting.