DESPERATELY SEEKING : THE SELTZER MAN
We went to a dinner party last week and they had the old fashioned glass seltzer bottles. They get them from the "SELTZER MAN" but he doesn't deliver to Brownstone Brooklyn
Any help in finding an authentic seltzer man who delivers to Brooklyn Heights would be greatly appreciated.
I feel an egg cream crave coming on.
Fleur
Mar 09, 2006 06:35PM
He delivers to Cobble Hill, I spotted him on Strong Place early this week. If I see him again, I will get his # and post it.
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The Seltzer man comes out of Canarsie Brooklyn , East 92 st and Ave D. They also bottle there.You will have to go there and post your name up on a board and if he wants to service your stop he will. Good luck . Cash only.
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I tried like 5 years ago to have him deliver. He used to bring the bottles to Oznot's Dish in Williamsburg, and I got his number from them. I got him on the phone and asked if he would bring a case or 2 a month. He sighed, and said there just weren't enough bottles to go around and that the plant that made/repaired them was closing up. He wasn't sure how much longer he would be in business I am happy to hear that he's still around (if it's the same guy- must be)....He told me to call in 6 months and try again, but I never did. Good luck!
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Wow I didn't know the seltzer man was still around. He used to deliver to my house in the 80's. I loved the flavored seltzer! If anyone has his number please post it.
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I live in Brooklyn Heights and get seltzer (the old fashioned kind) delivered from Eli Miller, of Miller Beverages. His phone number is 718-449-8697. Good Luck!
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I'm in Park Slope and use Ronnie. He charges $18 for delivery every two weeks-- 718-464-6408
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Hi any of you that get deliveries, do these guys clean the bottles well? They use city water i presume? I saw a seltzer truck rattling around carroll gardens recently and it didnt seem like the most sanitary operation.
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rembember, these bottles are antiques - they dont look too good.
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what are you talking about? the bottles are antiques: they are gorgeous.
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I think I saw this one, too - with the crates thrown haphazardly on top, and bottles rolling around and what not. It did look rather unsanitary. Don't remember which one it was, though...
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Where are you? I get it delivered in Park Slope, but I don't think my guy goes too far outside. I know for a fact he won't go to Manhattan. Plus, he's famous: the Wall Street Journal did a middle colunm feature on him a few years back that was hillarious......According to the article, there are still about 20 guys doing it in NYC, but that was a while ago. I got his number from this board as well. He too has trouble with bottles, but I think he takes new customers.
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I'll tell ya, from the sounds of it, this guy is the SELTZER NAZI. Good luck.
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Nazi is a bit strong, but I did butt heads with him twice-over already. First off, he wanted to send me two cases. I have a small apartment. I wanted one case. Not two.
Then it took me two months to go through the bottles and another month to find his phone number again (here on chowhound). It isn't in any phone book--I called the only Eli Miller in the Brooklyn directory, he was amused but he doesn't do seltzer delivery.
So I finally get through to him and he can only come at 4:00, and he goes through every neighbor on the block asking why this one and that can't take the delivery for me. He knows them all because last time he got here three hours early and sat on my stoop befriending everyone.
Then he calls me a day later and accuses me of monopolizing his bottles for four months (Jan 31 to April 28 isn't any kind of four months that I know of) and calls again to ask if I'd found anyone to wait for the delivery for me and then calls again as I'm rushing out the door to ask if I'd found someone to be there for the delivery. I said "no. I haven't. I told you I can't ask my neigbhors for that, this isn't some kind of crisis. I'll be home on Monday all day and I will schedule a pickup then and not before then" and he starts going on about monopolizing the bottles. Like the week difference is some kind of vital thing.
Ultimately, though, you can't really beat the seltzer and if I have to put up with his nonsense every six to eight weeks, I can do that.
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Now I'm fascinated with this so-called "seltzer man", but I dont really understand what he does.....
Does he just deliver plain seltzer or more flavored soda? What is so special about the bottles? I'm just a caveman.
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Many years ago (say about 60) the City (4 boroughs) were filled with beverage delivery people. Milk was delivered to the door, as well as seltzer in sealed but refillable bottles with a handle on the top which when you pressed wonderful carbonated water came out of a spout (somewhat similar to the seltzer siphons sold at places like Adler Health.com linked below).
There are a few people around that either continue the tradition or have revived it using original antique seltzer bottles. For some it's a bit of history worth paying for and these suppliers cannot keep up with the demand. The supply of old bottles is a limiting factor.
Link: http://www.adlerhealth.com
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Try the link below about seltzer men in NYC. It will provide an MP3 file from National Public Radio that you may find interesting.
Link: http://www.albany.edu/talkinghistory/...
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