Italian Soda

Posted by Darcy O'Neil

Ask most people what an Italian Soda is and they’ll usually describe a combination of flavour syrup and carbonated, or seltzer, water. If you search its origin on the Internet, the majority of the results describe it as an invention created by two Italian immigrants, who made the drink popular in San Francisco around 1925. But the reality is very different, and I find it odd that Americans have allowed one of their core culinary strengths (drinks) and truly unique inventions to be taken… Continue

Fix The Pumps Amsterdam!

Posted by Darcy O'Neil

If you happen to be residing in Europe, or loitering around the area on vacation or other such adventure, there is a little event happening in Amsterdam on August 23rd at Vesper. Philip Duff has offered to host this intimate soiree and introduce attendees to some lost drinks and interesting soda fountain ingredients from the book Fix the Pumps. Philip has provided all the entertaining details below.

Fix the Pumps Amsterdam
19th Century… Continue

Seltzer Works

Posted by Darcy O'Neil

Very rarely do I post PR material, but in some cases the information is actually interesting and useful. This one isn't even about a product, more about a TV show on PBS looking into the world of seltzer and the people / companies that sell it the old fashioned way, in glass syphon bottles. For anyone who liked Fix the Pumps or is interested in using real seltzer water behind the bar / starting an in-house soda program, this might be something you should set your PVR to catch. Now… Continue

They Thirst for Cocaine

Posted by Darcy O'Neil

The title of this post may sound like something out of a fictional tabloid you get at the grocery store checkout, but it comes from the Los Angeles Times (February 25, 1902 edition). I’ve posted the newspaper article because it is an excellent example of what soda fountains were really like at the turn of the 20th century. Plus it is a very interesting read when compared to the “evils” of the saloon. If you’ve read Fix… Continue