Iconic Montreal deli forced to drop its long-serving US cherry soda
Montreal's famous Schwartz's deli has stopped serving its decades-old US-made black cherry soda after the distributor's supply dried up, switching instead to a locally produced version.
Schwartz's, one of Montreal's best-known delis, has stopped offering the American-made black cherry soda that had been a staple drink at the restaurant for decades.
Years of supply trouble
For the past eight years, the sandwich shop struggled to keep the soda in stock as its US distributor gradually scaled back production. The cutback was driven by rising aluminium costs, which made can production increasingly expensive for the manufacturer. Despite the ongoing shortages, the deli's operators had not anticipated that the drink would disappear from shelves entirely and permanently.
Switching to a local option
Faced with the total loss of supply, Schwartz's has now replaced the American soda with a black cherry soda made by a local producer. According to the restaurant, most customers have accepted the change well, even though the original drink had become something of a fixture tied to the deli's long history.
The episode reflects a broader pattern in which rising raw material costs, including aluminium, are squeezing smaller and mid-sized beverage manufacturers, sometimes forcing them to cut or discontinue products that have been part of retail and food-service traditions for generations.
