A make-your-own egg cream setup is officially the easiest way to bring a little old-school cool to the Sodastream era, and it works well for guests of all ages and attention spans. I did this back in 2019 (just dusting off the photos to bring them over to Substack!), and even my most dry-humored, definitely-does-not-have-a-Pinterest-username friend was cracking a smile as she whipped up the fizzy throwback treat.
Egg creams contain neither eggs nor cream, which makes them a truly delightful enigma. If they weren’t already a quintessential New York thing by way of sheer geography, this fact would certainly make them so. They’re also a party MVP: Egg creams practically demand interactivity. They have to be made right then and there, after all, so your guests have no choice but to join in. And the process is fun—racing against the clock to “stir-chop” the glass, then watching the fizzy reaction.
To get everyone involved, set out glasses, spoons, cold seltzer, bottles of flavored U-Bet syrups (chocolate, vanilla, coffee, strawberry), jars of Nutella, and a variety of cold milks (non-traditional, but thoughtful to include non-dairy options).
I know that statement will have the old-timers clutching their siphons as they work to get me banned from every vintage luncheonette in America. But, ah well.
Quick—here are a few other fun ideas while they’re busy drafting the petition:
- Specific soda fountain–style glasses and extra-long metal spoons
- Paper straws
- Chocolate or rainbow sprinkles, and
- Crushed pretzels or graham crackers (salty-sweet rim situation?!)
- Nutella, cookie butter, or halva
- Seltzer siphon bottle
- Cute hand-lettered instructions (frame a “How to Egg Cream” card)
- A menu of suggested combos! Like:
- Chocolate + whole milk + seltzer (the classic!)
- Coffee syrup + oat milk + crushed pretzels (I have something similar in my new book!)
- Vanilla + almond milk + rainbow sprinkles
Recipe? What recipe? Egg creams are an art, not a science! (…But here’s a solid starting point.)
