Under The Sun

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by Kenny Malone

You may think the “seltzer man” went the way of the rotary phone, but Paul Urbant still delivers seltzer bottles.  He is a “sodero” who travels throughout South Florida, delivering bottles to front doors.  He came to Miami via Buenos Aires and New York City.

Seltzer water is cold water injected with carbon dioxide.  Many of Urbandt’s long time clients are Argentineans who mix the seltzer water with wine to accompany their meals.  Many of them grew up with a “sodero” delivering bottles to their homes in Argentina.   His Jewish customers like to use it for egg creams:  “I believe it’s like chocolate and something to do with eggs.”

“It’s not only money it’s the satisfaction of servicing my customers and continuing an old fashioned business of home delivery,” he says.

Seltzer Recipes:

Classic New York City Egg Cream

6 oz. seltzer

6 oz. milk

2 TB Chocolate syrup (Fox’s U-bet strongly recommended)

Alicia Zuckerman’s Easy Soy Milk Egg Cream

1 part seltzer

1 part chocolate soy milk

The Eliot Spritzer

(created prior to the former New York State Governor’s fall from grace)
1 part seltzer

1 part cherry juice/cider

splash of lime

Bucking Bronco

3 part(s) Pendleton Whisky

1 part(s) Seltzer Water

Spritzer Highball

3 oz. Rhine Wine

Seltzer Water

Build in a highball glass and fill with seltzer.

Related Links:

Miami Herald: Seltzer man delivers nostalgia door to door

CHOW:  Seltzer recipes

Radio Diaries: New York Works (These audio pieces are about folks who are some of the last to ply their trade, including Walter the Seltzer Man.)