“Of the thousands of books written about seltzer water, this is by far my favorite–especially the part that’s all about me.” So says Mel Brooks – filmmaker, actor, comedian, and composer.

One of my favorite activities – in the phase that existed between editing the final book copy and submitting it to the printers – was collecting blurbs. My publisher and I each reached out to our various contacts, asking them to share a few sentences attesting to the value of the book.

We tried to curate a collection that spoke to the different audiences we thought would be interested in Seltzertopia: cook book fans, Jews, psycholinguistics, etc. But our biggest challenge was getting one from someone who represented the world of comedy.

Luckily, one of the greatest comedians of all time is featured in Seltzertopia. In February, 1975, Mel Brooks gave a lengthy interview to Playboy Magazine. In it, he gave one of the classic definitions of an egg cream:

First you got to get a can of Fox’s U-Bet Chocolate Syrup. Take a big glass and fill one fifth of it with U-Bet syrup. Then add about half a shot glass of milk. And you gotta have a seltzer spout with two speeds. One son-of-a-bitch bastard that comes out like bullets and scares you; one normal, regular-person speed that comes out nice and soft and foamy. So hit the tough bastard, the bullets of seltzer, first. Smash through the milk into the chocolate and chase the chocolate furiously all around the glass. Then, when the mixture is halfway up the glass, you turn on the gentle stream and you fill the glass with seltzer, all the time mixing with a spoon. Then taste it. But sit down first, because you might swoon with ecstasy.

That lead to an exchange with David Fox, CEO or Fox’s Syrups, creator of U-Bet Chocolate Syrup, an exchange I recount in Seltzertopia, as part of the fascinating history of egg creams, soda jerks, candy stores and the tension between preserving the past and revising it for the future.

So I figured, what can I lose. Maybe Mr. Brooks would provide a blurb for the book. Searching online, I found Brooks’ production company (Brooksfilms Limited), got a number, and picked up the phone. The amazing Shelby Van Vliet, Associate Producer, answered. She set expectations low, but didn’t say no.

She said check back in a week. A week later she told me the same: check back in a week.

That continued for a few months, and each week I enjoyed my few seconds chatting with Brooksfilms Limited. “Hi, it’s Mr. Seltzertopia. It’s still in his pile? Maybe the end of the week? If I don’t hear, call back next week, right?” Ms. Van Vliet was always optimistic but realistic – giving me enough hope to call back but not promising anything so I wouldn’t be disappointed.

After awhile I started calling every few weeks. Then every month.

Then I went on vacation. And while I was on vacation, I received the email from Ms. Van Vliet I had been hoping for!

An immeasurable time later, your patience is rewarded!  A quote from Mr. Brooks:

“Of the thousands of books written about seltzer water, this is by far my favorite–especially the part that’s all about me.”