Celery Soda ~ Dr. Brown’s Cel-Ray Copycat
When I was taking painting classes in New York City, I came across a deli one Saturday evening in midtown Manhattan that sold a celery flavoured soda called Dr. Brown’s Cel-Ray. I was intrigued, so I ordered it with my pastrami sandwich. I asked the gentleman working the counter what he thought of it and he told me it wasn’t his favourite. He preferred ginger ale, but encouraged me to give it a try.
I was pretty surprised when I took my first sip. It definitely tastes like celery, but not in an unpleasant way. It’s refreshing and almost has an apple or pear like after taste, and maybe a little pepper. I couldn’t believe someone actually invented a celery flavoured soda, and being the food geek I am I went and did some research.
Brief History of Dr. Brown’s Cel-Ray
I learned that it was invented in Brooklyn, New York around 1886. Originally distributed as a tonic, it later changed to soda when the manufacturers decided that it couldn’t be deemed a tonic. Up to this day, it is popular in Jewish delicatessens in New York City and a few other states, but otherwise it is difficult to find.
My Ginger Bug Version
I enjoyed my newly discovered soda and I wanted to recreate it using my ginger bug. So when I came back to Canada, I got right to work. The original Dr. Brown’s Cel-Ray soda is made from celery seed extract, but I wanted to use fresh celery.
After several trials, I settled on a steeped wort of fresh celery, molasses, sugar and lemon (both peel and juice). And the result was pretty close. If anything, I‘d say my version has a little more pungent celery flavour. Sometimes when I make it, it turns out slightly bitter and other times it’s perfect. You can usually cut bitter flavour with something acidic, so I recommend going heavier on the lemon juice. I use molasses because the original Cel-Ray soda is a golden colour. Just like my Homemade Ginger Ale recipe, I add it to achieve the same effect.
Will You Try It?
If you have made and enjoyed my other ginger bug soda recipes, this one might be the weirdest thus far. But fear not—it is truly refreshing and you might actually want more when it’s gone. With celery being all the rage these days, why not give it a try? And when you do, leave me a comment and let me know how it went for you!
- In a medium saucepan combine 1 cup of the water, molasses and the sugar. Bring to a boil to dissolve all of the sugar and remove from heat.
- Carefully remove the peel of the lemon, leaving behind as much of the white pith as possible. Add zest to the hot sugar syrup and cover to steep 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, break up celery and add to a food processor. Pulse until very finely chopped or even until slightly mushy.
- After lemon peel has steeped in the syrup, add remaining water. This will cool the syrup almost immediately. Add celery and juice of the lemon. If the mixture is completely cooled, add ginger bug and mix well.
- Strain the wort into a large measuring cup with a spout for easy pouring. (This soda will have a little harmless murkiness to it; if you do not like this, strain through cheesecloth for extra clarity.)
- Transfer soda into 2 one quart bottles with swing top seals or into recycled plastic soda bottles with screw top lids. Do not fill more than two-thirds. Close tightly and place in a warm location to ferment, about 1-5 days. This may take even longer if location is too cool.
- Once soda is carbonated, place bottles into refrigerator to chill. Serve over ice. Celery soda will last for 2 weeks in the refrigerator.