On March 16, 2025, Brooklyn was buzzing with effervescence as the Brooklyn Seltzer Museum hosted the sold-out Brooklyn SeltzerFest 2025 at Industry City. This unique celebration of all things seltzer proved to be a resounding success, drawing in more than 600 attendees and supported by over 150 vendors, presenters, and volunteers.
One of the festival's major draws was the highly anticipated National Egg Cream Invitational, sponsored by Fox’s U-bet. After last year's victory by Philadelphia's Franklin Fountain, the coveted Golden Siphon has returned to New York City, with The Brooklyn Farmacy of Carroll Gardens claiming the championship title!
The competition was fierce, and other notable achievements in the Egg Cream Invitational included:
- Best Performance: Sammy’s Romanian Steak House (New York, NY)
- Best Presentation: S&P Lunch (New York, NY)
- Best Tasting (Artisanal): Hank Schwartz’s Deli & Appetizing (Jersey City, NJ)
- Best Tasting (Classic): Lofty Pursuits (Tallahassee, FL)
In addition to the egg cream excitement, the inaugural SeltzerFest Seltzer Awards celebrated the best in bubbly, with the following winners:
- SeltzerFest All-around Champion: Vintage
- The People’s Fizz Award: Le Seltzer (Montreal, Canada)
- Runner’s up:
- Best Testing Seltzer: Spindrift
- Most Unique Flavors: Kirkland Sparkling
- Sharpest Bite: Topo Chico
Barry Joseph, Founding Director of the Brooklyn Seltzer Museum, expressed his delight with the event, stating, "We were overwhelmed by today’s turn-out and the level of creativity brought to the event by all of the contestants as well as the dozens of exhibitors throughout the room,” adding that “People travelled from far and wide to experience today’s effervescent activities and they filled the room with so much joy”.
The Main Stage at Brooklyn SeltzerFest 2025 offered a diverse program throughout the day. It kicked off with an "Opening Spritz," a playful nod to a baseball season tradition via the Three Stooges. This was followed by "Fizzing into the Future–The Next Generation of Jewish Bubbly," a panel conversation and live demonstration presented by The Neighborhood: An Urban Center for Jewish Life, exploring the history and future of carbonated Jewish beverages with experts like Ari Miller, Yana Volfson, and Jeffrey Yoskowitz.
A highlight was the presentation of the first Spirit of Eli Award, named after the renowned seltzer man Eli Miller, to Walter Backerman, a seltzer delivery man extraordinaire.
Attendees were also treated to live Yiddish seltzer-themed Klezmer music, presented by The Workers Circle as the Seltzer Klezmer Spritz-tacular.
The visitor booths provided attendees with a wide array of "fizzy fun". They had the opportunity to enjoy seltzer tastings from numerous global and local brands, including La Croix, Le Seltzer, Kirkland Sparkling, Spindrift, Vintage, Liquid Death, Hal’s New York, San Pellegrino, Saratoga Sparkling Water, Waterloo, Polar, and Perrier. Complementing the seltzer were opportunities to sample classic Brooklyn food pairings, with vendors like Peter Pan Donuts and U-Bet's chocolate syrups present. BagelUp offered an interactive bagel experience. The booths also featured engaging hands-on activities, such as family-friendly egg cream workshops and seltzer-themed water-color painting. The Brooklyn Seltzer Museum booth itself allowed visitors to delve into 2,400 years of seltzer history through games, puzzles, art, and antique machinery. The Workers Circle hosted a seltzer carnival with games and prizes. For those with a competitive palate, there was The Flavored Seltzer Challenge, a blind taste test. Attendees could also learn about New York's seltzer delivery history and meet Walter Backerman at The Spirit of Eli Award booth.
Produced by the Brooklyn Seltzer Museum, a nonprofit cultural institution dedicated to preserving and promoting the effervescent history of seltzer water, the festival offered a vibrant experience for all. The museum, co-curated by Alex Gomberg and Barry Joseph, is located within the oldest seltzer works in New York City, a fourth-generation, family-run business. Alex Gomberg, museum co-founder and president of Brooklyn Seltzer Boys, emphasized the festival as "a chance to share that legacy and our passion for seltzer with the entire community".
The success of Brooklyn SeltzerFest 2025 was also made possible by its sponsors. Shopline, a leading commerce platform, served as the lead sponsor. Chris Yang, Shopline’s President and Co-CEO, highlighted the festival as "the perfect place to celebrate the creativity and entrepreneurship that make Brooklyn’s business community so special,” expressing their support for the Brooklyn Seltzer Museum. Other sponsors included The Workers Circle, powering progressive Jewish identity.
The return of the Golden Siphon to Brooklyn marks a triumphant moment for the local seltzer community and its deep historic roots in New York City. Brooklyn SeltzerFest 2025 successfully brought together seltzer enthusiasts, industry professionals, and the local community for a day filled with fizzy fun, delicious treats, and a celebration of seltzer history and innovation. While tickets were sold out, the event was also livestreamed for those who couldn't attend in person. The Brooklyn Seltzer Museum continues its mission to keep the history and excitement of seltzer alive and bubbling.
Catch up on all you missed through more photo, videos, and press coverage in the 2025 Brooklyn SeltzerFest Archive.
