Throughout history, and across America today, seltzer’s fizzy flavor has attracted a loyalty and passion that often defies logic. Seltzer is more popular now than at any time in the past, reflecting the desires and cultural expectations of those who partake of its bubbles. How did such an ordinary drink become so extraordinary?
In the new book, Seltzertopia, you will learn the untold story of seltzer, and meet the seltzer men and women who turned a hobby into a passion. From health to refreshment, identity, and even comedy, explore all the ways we infuse this unassuming drink with meaning. Discover . . .
- Why an eighteenth-century minister “invented” seltzer to save the British navy
- How the Jewish mafia showed their love of egg creams
- Why doctors once believed seltzer could cure everything from scurvy to gout
- How the Three Stooges turned seltzer siphons into carbonated comedy
- Why the Pittsburgh Seltzer Works displays a jagged row of broken “bottles of death”
- Why one seltzer owner leaped off a building to demonstrate his love of seltzer
- What is seltzer, anyway?
Based on more than fourteen years of research and countless interviews, and including more than 75 photos, Seltzertopia celebrates the fizzy magic of a simple drink.
ORDER Seltzertopia TODAY ON AMAZON!
What They’re Saying:
“Joseph has managed to transform a personal, long-standing obsession with bubbly water into a historically fascinating and highly readable book. There is nothing ‘two cents plain’ about it.”
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“Seltzertopia effervesces with love and passion for the legacy of seltzer – and it’s contagious. The book provides a compelling history of the drink and the culture that has surrounded it, from its origins in Europe to its flourishing in North America, while painting a rich and valuable portrait of the seltzer industry today.”
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“A funny and fascinating read for anyone who has wondered why Jews love seltzer so much. Full of tales of seltzer wounds, high jinx and the Jewish seltzer mafia, it’s a delicious chapter of American Jewish food history.”
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“If you are wistful when you see a classic seltzer bottle or devour books about food history, you will enjoy the in-depth stories Barry Jospeh shares with his readers about the history of Seltzer.”
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“With Seltzertopia, Barry Joseph has penned a definitive exploration of seltzer water. Weaving tales and interviews with the seltzer men who deliver the best bubbles to your doorstep, along with a historical overview of seltzer water in our culture, Joseph shares how and why seltzer inspires such passionate devotion. In some ways it’s a bygone era, but in others, we’re drinking more seltzer than ever. It’s truly a labor of love, and a joy to read.”
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“Water, bubbles, bottles, spas, seltzer, philosophers, failures and successes . . . Seltzertopia is a superb, hard-to-stop-reading, story that everyone who loves culinary history will absolutely want to have in hand. I’ve been working with food and drink, studying culture and history, and buying bottle upon bottle of bubbly water for nearly 40 years now, but I knew next to nothing about how that water came to be what it is. Seltzertopia tells all—a fascinating tale of how bubbles become part of the bottle, centuries of work to create a 21st century society in which you and I can walk into almost any shop or restaurant and order ourselves a glass of “bubbly!” Buy a bottle, buy the book, and drink a toast to Barry Joseph years of inspiring research and writing!”
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“The best way to understand the extraordinary is to take a new look at the ordinary. The inimitable Barry Joseph adds his long-awaited seltzer book to the list of such well-thumbed books as Salt: A World History; Potato: A History of the Propitious Esculent; Sugar: A Bittersweet History; Spice: The History of Temptation and Tea: The Drink that Changed the World. Seltzertopia: The Extraordinary Story of an Ordinary Drink fuses culture, history, art, and passion in a wildly fun and illuminating ride.”
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“Of the thousands of books written about seltzer water, this is by far my favorite–especially the part that’s all about me.”
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