A must-try location in the Levinsky Market after Tavlinksy in Tel Aviv is Cafe Levinsky. In the heat of an Israeli summer, this is definitely a place you want to stop at. Ever heard of a gazoz? This is the drink to try at Cafe Levinsky. Ask Benny Briga about it, the founder and owner of Cafe Levinsky.
Benny Briga opened Cafe Levinsky because he loved nature. He loved how nature blooms beautiful and delicious fruits which he recalls plucking off of trees as a kid. Benny wanted to spread the pleasure of nature to others, which led him to open Cafe Levinsky.
After finishing in the military and traveling the world, Benny settled down in Tel Aviv. After exploring the hospitality industry and opening his own restaurant, Benny reevaluated his career and wanted to open a place that allowed him to invest in his childhood delights. He opened the tiny shop and bought a tank of CO2 and began storing all sorts of herbs and flowers in the tiny corner shop in Florentin in Tel Aviv. He began storing all it in jars with sugar water and making gazoz.
What is gazoz?
Gazoz is a bubbly seltzer drink made by the fermentation of fruit. (Like beer, Ethiopian honey bee, wine). The gazoz that Benny sells is non-alcoholic, all-natural, and highly nutritious. Similar to soda, gazoz is refreshing and makes the perfect beverage in the heat of the summer.
Gazoz goes way back was originally invented in Tel Aviv in 1909 and has been a popular beverage ever since. Each gazoz that Benny sells includes macerated fruit, syrup, and some type of herb, depending on the gazoz of your choice. For example, the “Green Almond” gazoz is made of arugula flowers, fresh lemon verbena, lavender, and dried licorice root stick. It is fermented with green almonds and syrup, and topped by seltzer and ice.
Benny made me an apple gazoz, which tasted fresh and sweet. Once you finish your gazoz gives free seltzer refills.
Sustainable practices
Cafe Levinsky also practices sustainable measures of service. For starters, the straws are all natural because they are made from apples. You can even eat the straws after you finished your gazoz. In addition, the spoons are made free of plastic. Benny also composts at his farm in Jaffa where they grow all of the ingredients used in the cafe.
A sustainable studio
Benny took me into the studio right around the corner from the shop were the fermentation magic goes down. The beautiful studio is filled with jars filled with all kinds of things, from fruits to herbs.
One of the oldest of which is six years old: the “Quince” is from 2017. A quince is a kind of apple that when cooked becomes pink. Benny thinks it is better the longer something is fermented. Some jars are fermented with sugar and water, while others are fermented with salt and vinegar. He also uses anaerobic fermentation and aerobic fermentation.
Each day, he ferments something new for the gazoz, constantly having new and tasty things for his customers. He also has a wide array of alcohols that are available to buy from the bottle from 5% to 7% alcohol.
