Celery Soda

It's hot out today. Like, tear-all-your-clothes-off-and-go-running-through-the-sprinkler hot. Or do-nothing-but-nap-in-an-air-conditioned-library hot. If neither of these options are available, I highly suggest making a cool and refreshing drink--celery soda.


I had my first celery soda along with my first pastrami on rye many many years ago. And while Dr. Brown's Cel-ray is still my drink of choice with mustard, pickles, and copious amounts of smoked meat, it's pretty darn excellent any time, any where. A lot of the Jewish delis by me have stopped stocking the celery variety, which makes me bat-knish crazy. So a few years ago I started to make my own...now you can, too!

Thanks to Wikipedia, I found this gem: "Cel-Ray was so popular in the 1930s among New York City's Jewish community that it earned the nickname 'Jewish Champagne'." Uh, thanks, Wikipedia. Anyway. 


The technique we're going to use to make this is pretty simple. Make a simple syrup (which we also made for the Chocolate Tofu Pudding), and flavor it. Add club soda or seltzer and there you have it! You can now make any kind of soda you want, without buying an expensive soda machine. (Confession: I really want one of those. But you honestly don't need it!) Let me prove it to you.

 You need two ingredients, plus the stuff that comes out of your tap. 

Make and flavor your simple syrup by adding equal parts water and sugar to a pot. Bring it to a boil and add slightly crushed celery seeds. Turn off the heat, cover, and let it steep for up to an hour. 

 Strain out the celery seeds using a fine mesh strainer. Store in a container (anything from tupperware to this fancy bottle) in the fridge for up to six months. 

When you want a delish refreshing drink, just combine the syrup and club soda over ice. I like 1 1/2 Tablespoons of syrup per cup of water, but you can add more or less depending on how sweet you like your soda. By the way....you just made your own soda! Congratulations! 


Now go forth, friends! A whole world of making soda awaits you. Just to get you started, I found this fabulous site with suggestions for Watermelon Mint syrup, Cherry Almond, and Matcha Melon. Any overripe fruit you have lying around, any odd-flavored tea you've been meaning to drink for seven years...it's all good. If you make some wacky flavor and it turns out well (or doesn't), get at me in the comments section. Happy soda-jerking!




Celery Soda

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 2 Tbsp celery seeds, slightly crushed
• Club soda or seltzer

1. Dissolve sugar in water in a pot over high heat. Bring to a boil and add celery seeds.
2. Turn off the burner and cover the pot. Allow to steep for up to an hour.
3. Strain through a fine mesh strainer and cool. 
4. To make soda, combine 1 1/2 tablespoons syrup with one cup of water over ice. Keeps 6-7 months.