I don’t know Molly Young, but she is about to become my new best friend.
Anyone who seems to love Cel-Ray as much as do I is a winner in my book, and Young’s ode on Nextbook to the delicious drink is quite spectacular:
Its crisp, vegetable scent yields to a mellow caramel taste that won’t pickle your tongue with sweetness. “Jewish Champagne” is how Walter Winchell described it, and it’s as light and effervescent as that implies. If an admirer gave you a bouquet of fresh celery, the smell might remind you of Cel-Ray. One gulp cuts the fat of a juicy sandwich and cleanses the palate without tasting, as cream soda does, like dessert. Plus, it has insider caché: only serious eaters choose Cel-Ray. If you can persuade a kid to take a sip, you deserve an extra pickle. (MORE)
I was turned on to Cel-Ray at the original 2nd Avenue Deli by a friend who insisted I had to try it at least once.
I’ve never turned back.
If there’s anyway to describe the drink, it’s refreshing. The celery taste comes on only after swallowing a mouthful, and it moves from strong to subtle in a matter of seconds.
As the article notes, Diet Cel-Ray was discontinued several years ago, much to my chagrin. Sometimes I dream that it, along with Crystal Pepsi, return to me.
Renew our Days as of Old.
I’ve also thought that a perfect cocktail for the now defunct Moe Pitkin’s House of Satisfaction would be the “Bloody Miriam”:
- 1 part Vodka
- 2 parts Tomato juice
- A splash of Lemon juice
- A heavy splash of Cel-Ray
