If I drink more than a six-pack of soft drinks in a year, that's a lot. Odd considering that I grew up mixing all kinds of sodas in my family's fountain service store in East New York.
But when my friend Dante shipped me a really swell beverage carbonator a few weeks back, for the purpose of trying my hand at carbonated cocktails, all I was able to think about was making some soda.
And not just any soda. It had to be this one: Manhattan Special.
Not exactly a household name, I know. But they've been making this stuff since 1895. The company that produces it is still family owned, and the manufacturing plant is where it has always been: Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Here's a story the Times did a while back.
I used to drink a ton of Manhattan Special (we just called it "coffee soda") when I was a kid, but now only treat myself to a taste occasionally.
Dante's very cool gift seemed the right occasion. (Sorry, man, but I don't do cocktails. I'm a straight-up kinda guy when it comes to my whiskey.)
So, here you've got the contraption. It's called Twist 'n Sparkle.
It's a snap to use. All you do is insert a CO2 cartridge into this wand here, then drop the wand into the plastic bottle.
When you screw the wand into the bottle the gas is automatically released from the cartridge. To make my coffee soda I brewed about three and a half cups of espresso in a regular coffee maker and added 6 tablespoons of sugar. The sugar part was a little hard to cope with, as I never use it in my coffee. Oh, and the whole thing needed to be chilled before carbonating.
I can't believe I'm saying this, but I wound up with a drink that really was very close to the original. I think that if I played around with the coffee-to-sugar ratio a bit more I might even get it precisely right.
Or, I could just head on over to Williamsburg and get the real thing.
Tough call.
Now that is a real soda! If you need a lift in the afternoon this would do it.
ReplyDeleteGrowing up we went to a NY style soda and grill restaurant...We often ordered lime Rickey's. To this day, I can remember how much I enjoyed those fresh sodas. The older folks liked to order cream sodas.
Have a great weekend.
Velva
This is indeed a good old fashioned soda (note yo my Midwestern family: it IS soda and not pop). Your blog has me running all over Brooklyn in my trip to NYC in March.
ReplyDeleteC: let me know when you go, I'll give you some spots.
ReplyDeleteI don't know how you do it, Mr. M, but you really do have a way of making me smile.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
PS: I haven't had a coffee soda in a lot of years but will definitely be getting some this week.
Manhattan Special is always in my refrigerator as my husband loves it. We can easily find it in local Brooklyn supermarkets. If I ever move out of NYC I will have to get this gadget so we can make our own.
ReplyDeleteI love that stuff. I wish you could find it in Maine.
ReplyDeleteIt just occurred to me today to try something like this. I make soda at home using homebrew kegs and a CO2 tank, and will have to give this a go!
ReplyDeleteWhat type of espresso did you use and what was your espresso to water ratio...I have been trying to replicate this for a while...can't get MS here I CA very easily.
ReplyDeleteI grind my own espresso beans. Can't say exact water ratio, just what feels right. Sorry.
ReplyDelete$ 75. 00 for a case of 24--12 oz bottles, in St. Augustine, Fl.
ReplyDeletedrinking them ever since i was a kid in newark , they were 10cents at that time , they were smaller bottles and the taste was better then
ReplyDelete