Jewish actor and director Ben Stiller is, at this point, iconic. Born into Jewish comedy royalty (keep your eyes peeled for an upcoming documentary about his parents, comedians Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara), over the past four decades, Ben became a star in his own right with legendary roles in “There’s Something About Mary,” “Zoolander,” and “Night at the Museum,” as well as directorial acclaim with Emmy-nominated “Escape at Dannemora” and “Severance.”
Stiller has always been vocal about his Jewish heritage, and has played his fair share of Jewish roles — notably beloved Jewish son, Gaylord “Grey” Focker, and OG hot rabbi, Jake Schram, in “Keeping the Faith.” But his latest project may be his most Jewish yet: Soda.
Yes, you read right! Stiller’s Soda launched last week with a range of healthy sodas, currently available in three flavors: Root Beer, Lemon Lime and Shirley Temple.
What’s so Jewish about soda? (You may ask.)
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Well! Let’s begin with the longstanding Jewish obsession with seltzer, the original carbonated beverage. And what’s a Jewish deli without Dr. Brown’s Cel-Ray soda, so beloved it earned the moniker “Jewish champagne”? Or, if you hail from Montreal, a can of Cott Black Cherry Soda.
Not to mention the fact that Stiller’s Soda launched on Rosh Hashanah.
You can’t argue with facts.
Ben credits his childhood in New York as inspiration for Stiller’s Soda. “Shirley Temples, in particular, were a big thing for me growing up,” he told People magazine, which, as my colleague Lisa Keys of the New York Jewish Week pointed out in a recent newsletter, was “the go-to nonalcoholic cocktail for Jewish kids during the bar/bat mitzvah years.”
The retro, 70s-era branding is certainly fitting, though the copy is classic Stiller humor, with Zoolander-esque catchphrases like: “World’s Refreshing-est Soda!” and “Made by 100% Real Human Celebrity People.”
Tell me more! (You may say.)
Let’s break down what we know so far about Stiller’s Soda:
Flavors: Lemon Lime, Root Beer and Shirley Temple
Available: On Amazon and in stores around New York and the Tri-State area, with plans to expand to Walmart.com and beyond in 2026.
Price: $29.99 on Amazon for a 12-pack of each flavor, or a variety pack if you simply can’t choose, which comes out at $2.50 a pop (pun intended).
Nutrition Info: Each can contains 30 calories, 7 grams of sugar, 20 micrograms of Vitamin D, 91 milligrams of Vitamin C (or 93 milligrams in the Lemon Lime) and 2.4 micrograms of Vitamin B12.
But is it any good?
The reviews indicate so!
“This stuff is simply delicious. I savored every sip of Stiller’s soda,” writes one customer of the Lemon Lime flavor (described by Stiller’s as “Liberating the potential of lemon lime!”).
“Dang! This stuff is GOOD!” says another of the Root Beer flavor.
“Loving the Shirley Temple!” says another.
Fans praise the levels of carbonation, lack of sweetener-y aftertaste (the sodas contain a mix of stevia, monk fruit extract and cane sugar) and bonus health boost via the additions of vitamins D, C and B12.
Fewer, less positive reviews criticised Stiller’s for its weak flavor, with one customer claiming the soda tasted like little more than seltzer (though is that really a bad thing?!).
If you like your soda sugary and punchy, this may not be the brand for you, but for those in the market for nostalgic fizz with a side of Jewish humor, l’chaim!
