American
New York Egg Cream with House Cocoa Syrup
Cold milk, brisk seltzer, and a quick bittersweet cocoa syrup form the New York soda-fountain classic, with a light chocolate body beneath a tall, fleeting foam.
2 servings · 8 minutes prep · 4 minutes cook
Ingredients
Quick Cocoa Syrup (For Two Drinks, with Extra)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- a small pinch Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Two Egg Creams
- 3/4 cup very cold whole milk
- 1 1/2 cups very cold, highly carbonated seltzer
Directions
Cook and Chill the Syrup
- Whisk the sugar, cocoa, and salt in a small saucepan. Whisk in the water a little at a time until smooth.
- Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat and whisk for 1 minute. Remove from heat, stir in the vanilla, and chill for 15 minutes over an ice bath.
Build Each Glass
- For each drink, spoon 2 tablespoons cold cocoa syrup into a chilled soda glass, then add half of the milk. Stir until evenly tan.
- Tilt the glass and slowly pour half of the seltzer down the inside, stopping with 1 inch of headroom.
Raise the Foam and Serve
- With a long spoon, stir briskly at the boundary between milk and seltzer for 5 seconds until a dense foam reaches the rim; do not beat all the gas out.
- Serve with the spoon still in the glass before the foam subsides. Use 1/4 cup syrup for these two drinks. Transfer any remaining syrup to a clean covered container and refrigerate for up to 1 week.
