Go ahead, call him a jerk. Andrew Barnes doesn’t care. From behind the quaint counter of The Fizzy Bee in Central Market York, Andrew cranks out custom-flavored sodas, dreamy ice cream floats and rich, creamy milkshakes that will make you feel like you’ve been transported back in time to the days of sock hops and soda fountains. Andrew’s take on the classics is most definitely not old-fashioned, though, with flavors like maple quince & bogberry, Guinness coffee and pear hibiscus on the always-changing menu. Read on for a look at how he creates his magic:
PA Eats: What’s the secret to the perfect egg cream?
Andrew Barnes: It’s all about how you jerk it! A rocking motion between the fine and coarse streams while keeping the nozzle just above the liquid will give you the perfect egg cream. Just as a note, there are no eggs in an egg cream, just like there is no cream in a cream soda.
Explain to our readers what a “phosphate” is.
In the heyday of the soda fountain, a phosphate was the most popular. It was originally conceived as a mimic of the naturally carbonated mineral waters from around the world and was touted at times as an aphrodisiac, a digestive aid, a nerve tonic, a hangover cure and a balm against neuralgic dissipation. It is made by adding potassium, magnesium and calcium phosphates to phosphoric acid and then diluting that with water. It was designed to be a neutral bitter, to replace lemon or lime juice as they add a citrus flavor to the beverage. What it actually does is pull out different nuances and flavors and combine them in an amazing combination.
Who provides the ice cream for your ice cream floats?
We get all of our ice cream from Brent Lebowitz at Sweet Willow Creamery. I’ve known Brent for years and have always when given the chance used his ice cream and sorbets. And again it goes along with my choice of using the best local sources whenever possible.
Tell us about some of the other sweet treats on your menu.
I don’t have a lot of other sweet items on the menu simply because there are plenty of other sweet treats in market, and frankly between the Fizzy and Busy I have enough on my plate.
What I do have though are shakes in a multitude of flavors, such as the “Nutella Day Dream” (Nutella with a hint of coffee and vanilla ice cream), the Double Dutch Chocolate, a Bavarian root beer shake (Brown Cow), a peanut butter and banana shake, chocolate malts and more.
How do you make your custom soda flavorings?
I begin by preparing a not so simple syrup of pure cane sugar, water and whatever flavor I want to use. I then reduce that syrup until it has the correct texture. And then depending on the flavor I add temperature-sensitive items, such as purees, juices, herbs, etc. We then cool the syrups for use. To make a soda, we take about two ounces of syrup, add it to ice and fill it with the coarse stream while agitating it with the fine stream, unless it is something to be served solid; then we start with ice in the glass, fill the glass with soda water from the coarse stream and then add the syrup and stir.
Find The Fizzy Bee in Central Market York, located at 34 W. Philadelphia St. in York, Pa. Follow ‘em on Facebook too, and be sure to eat up the details of Barnes’ other Central Market stop, The Busy Bee.
