THE 2025 NATIONAL EGG CREAM INVITATIONAL - Sponsored by Fox’s U-bet
A major highlight of the Brooklyn SeltzerFest was the highly anticipated National Egg Cream Invitational, sponsored by Fox’s U-bet. After the 2024 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 winners of the competitions were as follows:
- Golden Siphon Champion: Brooklyn Pharmacy (Brooklyn, NY)
- Runner-ups:
- 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)
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.
Watch the entire Invitational:
This 2025 competitors included:
The 2025 judges included:
Benny Safdie is a film-maker, life long New Yorker, and been a fan of egg creams his whole life. “I make a not too bad one myself!”
Ginny Landt is a candy scientist and the author behind The Official Barbie Cocktail Book, releasing this spring. Both her parents grew up loving egg creams, which meant Ginny did as well, and she’s even featured boozy versions on her cocktail Insta.
Eric Berley, owner operator of Franklin Fountain, is a Philadelphia native who, with his brother Ryan, won the 2024 Egg Cream Invitational
For 100 years, Kelly Fox‘s family made Fox’s U-Bet. He worked there for 20 years.
The 2025 M.C. was be Chef Ari Miller. Ari draws upon his Eastern European heritage as well as the cuisine of Tel Aviv, where he lived for a decade, specializing in whole ingredient usage. He was the chef/owner of Musi, a critically acclaimed restaurant in Philadelphia, PA, that focused on zero-waste and non-industrial sourcing while addressing how a restaurant can best serve its employees, guests, and community in an approach he called “Relationship Cuisine”. Most recently he was the Executive Chef of CUT at the Rosewood Hotel in Washington, DC. He is currently the Chef-in-Residence for Poi Dog Sauces and working on his forthcoming restaurant, a Jewish Brasserie to be called The Purslane.
