Step 1

Just before you’re ready to make and serve the egg cream, place your empty glass into your kitchen sink (or anywhere you don’t mind getting a little messy!). Make sure your spoon is nearby.

Step 2

Pour about an inch-and-a-half of chocolate syrup into the bottom of the glass (this is an art, not a science!). Follow with a little more than 1/4 cup of milk.

Step 3

(Read steps 3 and 4 before proceeding, because you’ll have to move quickly!) Finally, uncap the seltzer bottle and upturn it over the drink so that it comes gushing forth like a mini soda fountain. It’s going to start to get messy—that’s how you know you’re doing it right!

Step 4

Immediately after you pour the seltzer, begin the stirring process—but note that there’s no actual stirring. Instead, “chop” rapidly at the bottom of the glass, making up and down motions and trying not to disturb the foamy head of the drink. You want to end up with a chocolatey bottom and “clean” white head. (Some claim the top of the drink should actually be chocolatey, too; I prefer it this way with the clean delineation.)

Step 5

The foam will quickly disappear, so pop in your straw and enjoy immediately!