Sunday, March 18, 2012

"Seltzer Works" Short Film Recalls the Days of Seltzer Syphon Delivery


In the early 1900's thousands of seltzer deliverymen criss-crossed the nation, schlepping heavy glass bottles full of fizzy water to millions of thirsty customers.

Today, with only a handful of deliverymen left in the country, the siphon machines at Gomberg Seltzer Works don't turn like they used to. Most of the old customers have passed on (or moved to Florida). But there are still bubbles being made by third-generation seltzer filler Kenny Gomberg. 

In Jessica Edwards' short documentary film Seltzer Works, the last bottler in Brooklyn fends off the supermarket seltzer take-over and honors this simple drink's place in history.

Seltzer Works is currently screening in film festivals around the USA, and here is the complete film. It should be a nostalgic experience for our older readers and a look at what we're missing today for everyone. Enjoy!

(A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.)

9 comments:

  1. What is the Point of me subscribing to Jewish Humour if I can not view videoclips advertised on the site just because I am in Canada? Or even elsewere?

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    1. Jeremy
      Here I am in Israel and I too cannot see the film BUT I can still get gazoz (even tho it does not have the mystique of seltzer delivered to my home) from my Soda Stream.

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  2. I really wanted to see the Seltzer film. I am damn annoyed now

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  3. Jeremy, are feeling a bissel entitled today? Take a couple aspirin, wash it down with a glessel seltzer.

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  4. Right sure. However I am feeling a lot better now after watching the delightful short film "The Taylor".

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  5. I think it is unfair to even include things on your site that we can't all enjoy!!!

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  6. This brought me back many years (30's & 40[s). We always had seltzer delivered at my grandparents home in Brooklyn and later at my parents' home in Mt. Vernon. The crates were kept in the hall or basement and the empties were returned to them. If a bottle did not completely empty the half empty (or half full depending on how you saw it) were replaced by a full one in the next delivery. At all of the Jewish restaurants in New York (at least on the lower East side) there was always a seltzer bottle on the table.
    I think of those seltzer bottles often and wish they were still available and was delighted to find this video.

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  7. In my home it was called "greps water". I think that greps in Yiddish means belch.

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  8. Jeremy
    I too cannot see the film, here in Israel, but I can still get gazoz and we can also make it with our own home contraption called a soda stream.

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