The Seltzer Sisters FAQ

Since 1983 the Seltzer Sisters have bottled and delivered old-fashioned seltzer to devotees in the Bay Area. We're one of a handful of tiny companies devoted to old-fashioned service and the environmentally sound use of refillable bottles. Here is an explanation of our service and products.

• What does it cost?
• What is the minimum order?
• What else does Seltzer Sisters offer?
• How and when do I get my second delivery?
• What kind of water is in the bottles?
• What makes the seltzer so different? How do I get best results?
• How do I care for the bottles?
• What happens if no one is home for delivery?
• How do I pay for this service?

What does it cost?

The Seltzer:

$3.00 per bottle, tax included, for seltzer delivered in our plastic Super Seltzer bottles. Each bottle contains 50.7 oz. (or 1.5 liters). For simplicity, you will see a tax-included price of $3.00 on your invoice. The plastic bottles are pressurized and have spray tops just like old antique glass bottles.

Please click here for our complete price list.

Bottle deposits:

There is a refundable deposit of $25.00 per case of 6 plastic bottles. Every time you increase or decrease the number of bottles you are holding, we will adjust your deposit accordingly.

Service charges:

All deliveries are not the same. Depending upon the degree of difficulty in reaching you and/or the distance from our main route, some accounts are subject to a $5.00 service charge and/or higher minimum orders.

A $5.00 "incomplete delivery" charge will be assessed if your empty bottles are not left out on your delivery day. In such cases, we may be unable to leave extra bottles, depending upon our supply.

What is the minimum order?

For your first delivery, there is a two case (12 bottle) minimum, costing $36.00 plus delivery charge.

For all subsequent deliveries, the minimum order is $30.00. If you request delivery with less than 10 empty bottles to be exchanged, your order will be subject to this $30.00 minimum.

To continue using our bottles, you must have a minimum delivery of $30.00 in every eight week period. If not, there will be a service charge to reach the $30.00 minimum. If we have not heard from you for an eight-week period, we will call and tell you we are coming by.

If we do not find bottles, we will only leave extra bottles if we previously communicated with you and confirmed your delivery. Extra bottles are also subject to the $5.00 incomplete delivery charge in addition to the minimum charge.

You may increase the number of bottles you are holding at any time, by contacting us before your delivery date. We recommend keeping a five week supply of bottles, and choosing a four week delivery cycle. If you are a heavy user, you may wish to keep a larger supply or choose a shorter delivery cycle.

What else does Seltzer Sisters offer?

We offer a large selection of the finest natural syrups from France. These syrups are far superior to Italian syrups for making "Italian" sodas.

We also offer traditional fountain syrups including the celebrated Fox's U-Bet Chocolate Syrup, the one New Yorkers insist upon using in their authentic chocolate egg creams.

A list of these items can be seen here. Enjoy!

How and when do I get my second delivery?

In most areas we deliver weekly. Most customers operate on a 4-week delivery cycle.

Your service is personally designed for your needs. About four weeks after your first delivery, we will call you to assess your usage and design a service interval and appropriate inventory to keep you in seltzer. When we deliver, we'll replace your empty bottles one for one with fresh bottles, unless your usage indicates (or you suggest) a change in the number of bottles you keep on hand.

Your invoice will list your next scheduled delivery. You may call at any time to get delivery sooner than scheduled. Once you've established a pattern of usage we may, at your option, establish automatic service. In this case you need call only to defer or change your order.

To reach us call 1-800-WATER-55.

What kind of water is in the bottles?

We use highly filtered water from the acclaimed Hetch-Hetchy system that contains snow melt from the Sierra Nevada mountains.

We use a triple filtration system that includes carbon, ultraviolet and barrier filtration down to 0.5 microns in pore size. Those with compromised immune systems can be assured that this filtration eliminates cryptosporidium cysts. Chloramine and its byproducts are also removed.

We carbonate the filtered water with pure carbon dioxide in a traditional process.

The pH of the water is extremely low, due to the high pressure (135 psi) of CO², resulting in a completely antibacterial environment

What makes the seltzer so different? How do I get the best results?

Our water is of very high quality and excellent taste, and we use no sodium in the carbonating process. Other bottlers use sodium to keep the bubbles in when the liquid is warm and poured over ice.

The valve on our bottle maintains pressure and carbonation even after you've begun using the bottle. Screw-top bottles cannot do this; open a bottle of any sparkling water and it will immediately start to go flat. Our bottles will maintain carbonation for months; the optimal shelf life is 3 months.

The colder the seltzer, the more sparkling it is. Refrigerate it at least four to eight hours before serving. Warm seltzer is flat and cannot be helped by ice, which would also add impurities to the filtered water and change the taste. If you can't wait, immerse the bottle in ice water for at least an hour.

How do I care for the bottles?

Store extra bottles at room temperature, but avoid direct sun and heat. Even a few hours in direct sun or high heat will ruin the delicate flavor of the seltzer. Heated or frozen bottles can also explode violently.

Do not freeze the bottle; freezing will ruin the bottle and possibly flood your refrigerator.

These are returnable bottles. Please care for them and keep the flow going -- quantities are limited.

Please do not loosen the tops; the small amount of seltzer in the bottom is not counted in the volume you are charged for -- you are not being shorted.

If a bottle malfunctions for any reason, please use a rubber band (not tape or glue) to attach a note with your name and a brief description of the problem (if it is not obvious). You will be credited for the bottle.

Bottles and cases are to be returned only to us for refilling. They are sometimes in short supply, so please remember to put them out for pickup. A $5.00 "incomplete delivery" charge will be assessed if your empties are not out at the time of delivery. In such cases, we may be unable to leave extra bottles, depending on our supply.

What happens if no one is home for delivery?

Most people are not home for delivery. We deliver to garages, back doors, front doors -- any place not in direct sun and reasonably obscured from passersby.

Where this is not possible, we can maintain a key to a garage, security gate or other area. We have hundreds of keys for this purpose. All keys are encrypted, so that they cannot be connected with a particular address. We have never lost a key. If lost, the keys would be useless without an encryption list.

When we say we have a personal service, we really mean it!

How do I pay for this service?

We leave an invoice with your delivery, which you pay by mail or by credit card billing. Convenient automatic credit card billing is the preferred method with 90% of our clients. Your charges each month reflect the number of bottles actually delivered to you that month, adjusted for minimum delivery charges and/or service charges described above. Please note that without a credit card, your first delivery must be either prepaid, or C.O.D.