National Egg Cream Day

National Egg Cream Day celebrates the classic soda-fountain drink made with chocolate syrup, cold milk, and seltzer. Despite its name, an egg cream usually contains neither egg nor cream. The drink originated in 19th-century New York City, becoming part of the city’s soda-fountain scene by the 1890s, although accounts differ on whether it began in Manhattan’s Lower East Side or Brooklyn.

The origins of the name are disputed, too. Explanations include a connection to a Yiddish phrase, a mispronunciation of the French chocolate et crème, and the drink’s frothy, egg-like top. Even the proper method is debated: the ingredients are generally agreed upon, but the proportions and mixing techniques vary. Some people enjoy an egg cream with a pretzel stick, whose salt contrasts with the drink’s sweetness.

National Egg Cream Day was created by Gregory Cohen, an owner of a soda fountain and candy shop in Tallahassee, Florida. According to the event’s organizers, March 15 was chosen partly because it falls before the soda-fountain season and partly because it is the birthday of Ben Chodosh, whose Brooklyn candy store was where Cohen enjoyed egg creams as a child. The observance also aims to promote and preserve the American soda fountain. In 2024, the Brooklyn Seltzer Museum marked the day with a National Egg Cream Invitational featuring soda fountains from New York City and Philadelphia.

How to Observe National Egg Cream Day

Celebrate by making or ordering an egg cream with chocolate syrup, cold milk, and seltzer. Try it with a pretzel stick, experiment with the proportions, or compare different mixing techniques. You can also learn more about the drink’s debated name and history, or use the event’s Find a Fountain option to locate a soda fountain.

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