The Soda Fountain: Floats, Sundaes, Egg Creams & More--Stories and Flavors of an American Original

by Gia Giasullo, Peter Freeman, Brooklyn Farmacy and Soda Fountain, Elizabeth Kiem, Michael Harlan Turkell (Photographer)

Overview

A collection of 70 recipes celebrating the history and stories of the classic American soda fountain from one of the most-celebrated revival soda fountains in the country, Brooklyn Farmacy.
     A century ago, soda fountains on almost every Main Street in America served as the heart of the community, where folks shared sundaes, sodas, ice cream floats, and the news of the day. A quintessentially American institution, the soda fountain still speaks of a bygone era of innocence and ease. When Brooklyn Farmacy & Soda Fountain opened its doors in 2010, it launched a revival of this great American original, capturing the hearts of a new generation.
    Featuring abundant full-color photography and vintage illustrations and advertisements, The Soda Fountain explores a rich history—from the origins of seltzer in the nineteenth century, through the transformation of soda during Prohibition and the Depression years, right up to today’s fountain renaissance. Featured recipes range from classics like the Purple Cow and Cherry Lime Rickey to contemporary innovations that have made Brooklyn Farmacy famous, like The Sundae of Broken Dreams (topped with caramel sauce and broken pretzel bits) and Makin’ Whoopie! Sundae (with hot fudge and mini chocolate whoopie cakes). 
     Recreating beloved treats like egg creams and milkshakes with local, seasonal, and artisanal ingredients, Gia Giasullo and Peter Freeman, the sibling cofounders of Brooklyn Farmacy & Soda Fountain, teach you how to resurrect the proud American soda fountain tradition at your own kitchen counter. With its fascinating anecdotes, mouth-watering pictures and easy-to-follow steps,this nostalgic cookbook proves that the soda fountain is a culinary and cultural institution that continues to delight.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781607744849
Publisher:	Potter/Ten Speed/Harmony
Publication date:	05/06/2014
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	7.60(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

PETER FREEMAN (aka Head Jerk) is the cofounder of Brooklyn Farmacy & Soda Fountain. His degree in sociology and his love of egg creams led him to the perfect career: as a soda jerk in his own soda fountain. He lives happily above Brooklyn Farmacy & Soda Fountain with his cat, Mr. Pickles.

GIA GIASULLO (aka Big Sister) is the cofounder and creative director of Brooklyn Farmacy & Soda Fountain. She is the daughter of a Greenwich Village shopkeeper, and it is no surprise to her that after spending twenty-plus years practicing graphic design she is now runs a corner store in Brooklyn. She and her family live happily above Brooklyn Farmacy & Soda Fountain.

Read an Excerpt

Raspberry Syrup
You don’t have to wait for raspberry season to make this syrup. Frozen raspberries are easy to find and make as tasty a syrup as fresh raspberries do. The resulting syrup is a ruby-hued beauty that mixes well with lots of other syrup flavors. Try it in combination with lemon, lime, or pineapple. This syrup is featured in the Princess float (page 90).

2 pints fresh raspberries, or
24 ounces frozen raspberries
2 cups (16 ounces) cane sugar, or more depending on the tartness of the berries
5 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
11 ⁄4 cups (10 ounces) water
1 tablespoon honey

Put the raspberries and sugar in a saucepan. Stir briskly, mashing a few raspberries in the process. Cover and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Add the lemon juice and water and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Decrease the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the honey.

Place a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl and pour the berry mixture into it in manageable batches, using a wooden spoon to mash the mixture against the mesh of the strainer. Discard the seedy mash that remains in the strainer. Let the syrup cool to room temperature and chill before using. 

Store the syrup in covered glass jars or plastic containers in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. The syrup may also be frozen in plastic containers for up to 3 months. If frozen, allow to thaw in the refrigerator overnight before using.

To make a raspberry soda, fill a 12-ounce glass halfway with ice, add 1 ⁄4 cup (2 ounces) of Raspberry Syrup, top with seltzer, and stir gently with a soda spoon to combine.

Table of Contents

The Stories
1: The Soda Fountain Comes from Rx
2: A Golden Age 
3: Prohibition and the Jazz Age Fountain
4: Stars and Stripes (and Soda) Forever chapter five5

The Recipes   
6: Getting Started
7: Syrups & Sodas
8: Floats
9: Egg 
10: Sundaes
11: Milkshakes
12: Toppings
13: Baked Goods

resources bibliography about the team acknowledgments index

Editorial Reviews

05/05/2014
With the soda fountain revival in full bubble nationwide, this cookbook from the founders of Brooklyn Farmacy arrives just in time, bearing all sorts of drinkable confections. The authors honor their subject’s long legacy with a well-researched history of soda fountains from the 19th century to their decline in the 1960s and 1970s. Then it’s on to the recipes, some of which call for specialty gear such as a whipped cream dispenser or a banana split boat. Soda syrups run the gamut from typical cherry and vanilla cream to hibiscus and concord grape. Even recipes for homemade cola and ginger soda are included. The creations veer from the traditional egg cream to the Brooklyn artisanal-minded Hog on a Hot Tin Roof with bacon peanut brittle. Classic baked goods—Chocolate Whoopie Pies, ginger snaps, and an apple crumb pie round out the offerings. The discussion throughout is lively and humorous yet reverent, but the appeal of some of the recipes depends to an extent on the reader’s enthusiasm and commitment to making these labor-intensive treats. 70 color photos. (May)

Publishers Weekly

The Soda Fountain is a treat for old-time Brooklynites like me who cut our sweet tooth on egg creams. Along with recipes and scrumptious photographs, the book taps into the nostalgia of the classic soda fountain counter, where generations of Brooklynites past and present found ice cream heaven in favorites like the Cherry Lime Rickey and the Chocolate Malt. Thank you, Gia and Pete, for showing all those who visit or live here how sweet Brooklyn truly is!”
—Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz

“Pete and Gia have restored the soda fountain ideal and breathed new life into the old tradition of local food shared in local places.”
—Slow Food NYC

“Nostalgia reigns within the pages of this invaluable book. In it, the history of the soda fountain comes to life with throwback desserts such as egg creams, ice cream sodas, shakes, and sundaes. Dynamic tales of Brooklyn’s past root the egg cream in present time for the next generations to come.”
—Alain Ducasse, chef-creator and author of J’aime New York

“The guys at Brooklyn Farmacy are a bunch of jerks! They're also experts at creating classic treats from yesteryear that should not be forgotten.”
—Clinton Kelly, host of ABC's The Chew and author of Freakin' Fabulous on a Budget

“What a crazy story behind the coolest hangout in Brooklyn. What insanely delicious sundaes. And what chutzpah Gia and Peter showed by saving the soda fountain from a premature demise!”
—Eric Demby, Brooklyn Flea & Smorgasburg

"Along with some pure Brooklyn farming-hipster style, the book offers fascinating historical tidbits, postwar snapshots and a treasure chest of easy syrups and blends to get you started. Where else are you going to learn about the great carbonic acid explosions of the Jazz Age? Or why they call them "soda jerks"? There's something for everyone: classic egg creams for the nostalgic, sundaes for the sweet-toothed, and, yes, syrup-based cocktails for those who just have to have them."
—T. Susan Chang, National Public Radio

From the Publisher

★ 05/15/2014
Traditional treats get a 21st-century twist in this debut from Freeman and his sister Giasullo, owners of Brooklyn Farmacy & Soda Fountain. After five chapters of substantial beverage and business history, the authors share recipes for soda syrups; floats and egg creams that combine syrup, seltzer, and store-bought ice cream; sundaes that incorporate homemade toppings; and baked goods. Using the very precise tool and resource recommendations, readers can easily re-create Brooklyn Farmacy favorites down to the exact glass, straw, and scoop. VERDICT A perfect summer cookbook filled with classic recipes you'll want to dig right into.

Library Journal