Gazoz

Benny Briga is a chef and owner of Café Levinsky 41, located in Tel Aviv’s trendy Levinsky Market. Find him on Instagram at @cafe_levinsky41.

“A gazoz is a carbonated nonalcoholic drink, but it becomes a refreshing still life, ready to sip, in the hands of Benny Briga, the Tel Aviv restaurateur who serves an array of them at his Café Levinsky. His new book, Gazoz, written with Adeena Sussman, shows you the necessary ingredients and how they are constructed. Mr. Briga ferments fruits in sugar for his drinks, a requirement for many but not all the recipes. Homemade fruit and vegetable syrups, nut butters, edible flowers and herbs all figure into the magical beauty of his glasses of gazoz, pictured throughout the book. He provides specific recipes for peach, cherry, watermelon, tomato and scores of other flavors, including a rose gazoz. They are at once fragrantly subtle and richly complex. And after you’ve finished the drink his advice is: ‘Eat the fruit.’”—The New York Times“A retro fizzy beverage is looking fresher than ever at Tel Aviv’s Café Levinsky 41. The new book Gazoz reveals the secrets of its effervescent architecture. . . . In Gazoz, Mr. Briga and Ms. Sussman show how to craft syrups, layer flavors and create a drink that reflects what’s in your own garden or grocery store.”—The Wall Street Journal  “Envisioned as more of a road map than a classic cookbook, this book gives you the tools to assemble gazoz drinks. [Briga and Sussman] set you free to make them in your own style. You like probiotics? Add kombucha. Looking for some zing and extra antioxidants? Mix in fresh ginger or turmeric purees. . . . How to fully enjoy a glass of gazoz: look at its beauty, inhale its aroma, sip it through a straw, and then eat the fruit at the bottom of the glass.”—The Forward“Beautifully illustrated and photographed, Gazoz is full of liquid inspiration that springs off the page. If you’re an aspiring culinary experimentalist behind the bar, Benny and Adeena have filled the book with all manner of enticing ferments and pantry staples. This book is sure to delight your palate and quench your thirst!”—David Zilber, coauthor of The Noma Guide to Fermentation“In Gazoz, you will be transported to the Levinsky Market, sitting on the back of Benny’s vintage pickup truck, sipping on one of his perfect potions.”—Michael Solomonov, chef and author of Zahav“Benny’s thirst-quenching, imaginative creations are as beautiful as they are delicious, and with this new book he finally shares his secrets to enjoying them at home. I can’t wait to mix, macerate, sip, and slurp my way through its pages!”—Gail Simmons, food expert, TV host, and author of Bringing It Home“Absolutely gorgeous and so refreshing. Benny takes a simple concept and turns it into a complex, layered culinary experience and connects to nature in the process.”—Eden Grinshpan, author of Eating Out Loud