What does this have to do with NYC? Plenty. Dr.Brown’s Cel-Ray Soda is a specialty item more commonly found in the New York City area. In the 1930s, it was even nicknamed “Jewish champagne.”

The subject of beverages came up while chatting recently with a number of friends on a hot summer’s evening. We all volunteered our personal favorite flavors and brands: cream soda, root beer, etc. One of our group mentioned celery soda – Dr. Brown’s Cel-Ray. None of us had had one, and we became very intrigued. We were unable to locate one at our local green grocer, so it became a mission for a couple of us.

There is great satisfaction in achieving goals, but in New York City, where life can be hard, many goals are difficult, so we often must settle for small things. I think this explains the popularity of Sudoku; there is only one solution, and a completed puzzle is a small, perfect achievement.

In New York City, space is at a premium, so in many instances, we do not have the broad range of consumer items in certain categories, certainly not the type of selection of packaged products seen in a suburban supermarket such as Pathmark or Super Stop & Shop.

We did not find Cel-Ray at our local green grocer. In a way, I think we secretly welcomed this – it gave us a small team goal. One that would most likely be easily achieved.

Last night, there was word that Cel-Ray could be found at a neighborhood market. A short pilgrimage confirmed reports, and two of us were able to acquire and sample our first Dr. Brown’s Cel-Ray soda. The flavor was quite good – pungent and spicy – much better than we expected. Finding it was almost like landing on the moon – one small step for two men…

I love this kind of thing. The New York City where we can find an icon based on something so ordinary that it defies comprehension of how it attained mythic status. Its very ordinariness drives it.

I think it is a form of defiance. Our sense of self-importance is such that New Yorkers can take something completely mundane, champion it, and say, “This is the definitive coffee cup. Why? Because we say so! We don’t have to pander to outside fashion or fancy cups. We set the rules. And the Greek motif coffee cup is what we choose. We eschew all others.”

Of course, the entire process is the confluence of many factors, historical, practical, and otherwise. But once something here has been established as a de facto standard, New Yorkers hold on in a tenacious manner.

The classic, Greek-themed, blue and white design – the Anthora – was originally designed by Leslie Buck of the Sherri Cup Company of Kensington, Connecticut, in 1967. The large number of Greek-owned coffee shops in New York City seemed to be a ready target for a themed coffee cup. The name was inspired by an article about a sunken Greek ship laden with Amphora (Greek urns). Anthora is a corruption of the word, based on a misprint in an article. Greek Amphora were typically decorated with geometric designs around the neck; this concept was adapted to the upper and lower rim of the 10-ounce paper coffee cups.

There are a number of competing brands of the Greek coffee cup, but all have some variation of the original message “We are happy to serve you.” The one in the photo is no. 110 by Premier Paper Manufacturing Corp., circa 1997. A set of Corinthian columns graces the front with the words “It’s our pleasure to serve you” and a discus thrower on the back. The original design is now owned and manufactured by Solo Cup Company. See the link here for a gallery of Greek-motif cups.

The Greek-themed blue-and-white design is now on sale as a ceramic mug at the Museum of Modern Art. And a whole line of products, like T-shirts, can be found with the Anthora image. It can also be seen in shows like NYPD Blue, where the cup lends a sense of New York City authenticity.

Some predict that the cup, with its blue-collar associations, is doomed to extinction with the advent of more sophisticated cups, such as those used by Starbucks. Time will tell…

The photograph was taken courtesy of Joe Jr’s. Diner – the subject of a future story.