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On a typical summer day at Schwartz’s Deli, in Montreal, there’s a lineup at the door as tourists and locals wait to get their smoked-meat sandwich.
But now, something has changed.
For decades, customers would be able to order a can of Cott’s Black Cherry Soda alongside their sandwich.
While Cott’s used to be a local brand, it was bought out in 2018 by a multinational beverage company, Refresco, which said it has stopped production of the drink in Canada.
The supply change has prompted the iconic smoked-meat deli to to turn to a local made-in-Quebec alternative, Fleischer’s Original Black Cherry Soda.
This comes as a growing cohort of businesses embrace a Buy Canadian mantra in a landscape disrupted by tariffs and the trade war with the United States.
And some customers at the Montreal landmark smoked-meat shop seem to be enthusiastic about the newest item on the menu.
“It’s always good to support locally,” said Liam Keenan, who was visiting from Toronto and getting ready to tackle the classic Schwartz’s trio: smoked-meat sandwich, pickle, and black cherry soda.
Keenan had been to Schwartz’s once before. He said he noticed the canned drink looked different this time, but that it still tasted great.
Originally, Cott’s Black Cherry Soda was made in Montreal. It had been part of Schwartz’s history since its early years, almost a century ago.
“People appreciated (it) being local and different and a little sweet, with the spices from the smoked meat,” Frank Silva, Schwartz’s general manager, said in a recent interview. “People got hooked on it, so people come here for a smoked meat sandwich and a black cherry. That was always the case.”
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But Silva said the canned version of Cott’s Black Cherry Soda was discontinued by the manufacturer, in part because of American tariffs on aluminum.
“It was very popular here, but I don’t think they sold to too many other places. So when the cost for aluminum went up, they decided to eliminate black cherry in a can,” Silva said, from behind the counter of the crowded deli, between two smoked-meat sandwich orders.
A 2023 change in the provincial recycling system, which implemented a 10-cent deposit for canned drinks, may also have played a role in the end of Cott’s Canadian production, he said.
Soft-drink producer Refresco declined The Canadian Press’s interview request, but confirmed they stopped manufacturing Cott products in Canada.
After the supply ran out in March, Silva said he was happy to make the switch to Fleischer’s.
A can of Fleischer’s black cherry soda costs around twice as much as Cott’s did, but because of its bigger size, many customers share it, said Silva.
“It’s a bigger can, and it’s local, it’s Canadian, so people are really getting into it,” he said.
A few tables over, Ann Thinghuus and her two children were sharing a can of Fleischer’s to go along with their smoked-meat.
“It works really well with the sandwich, it’s super refreshing, and we did notice that there’s a Canadian flag on the can, so we’re pretty happy about that too,” said Thinghuus, who is from Vancouver.
She said supporting a Canadian business was a big plus, “especially with what’s going on” in the past few weeks.
Montreal-born brewer Victor Lukoshius owns a facility that produces beer and the Fleischer’s soda in St-Hyacinthe, east of the city.
Lukoshius set out to create a new version of the cherry-flavoured soft drink two years ago, when he heard Cott’s might be ending its production.
“I grew up just like everybody else, drinking black cherry as we’re eating smoked meat sandwiches,” he said. “We wanted to take on the challenge of producing something for the smoked meat, the delis, the Jewish delis, the hotdog places, to maintain and keep that tradition.”
Lukoshius sources his ingredients locally and the cans are printed in Montreal. He said Fleischer’s isn’t sheltered from tariffs and inflation, but that he is willing to shoulder some extra costs to keep black cherry soda flowing.
“We’re biting the bullet, we are paying more for it. We have smaller production, but I think we’re doing well,” he said.
Saibal Ray, a professor of operations management at McGill University, said tariffs placed on aluminum have affected the beverage industry even though their main goal was to target the aerospace industry, auto manufacturing and appliances.
Cans can represent up to a third of the cost of producing a soda, said Ray, who has expertise in supply chain management.
He explained that since most cans are produced in the United States using Canadian aluminum, they are tariffed at least twice. So Ray said it’s not surprising that niche products like black cherry soda would be swallowed up.
“It’s a very small margin business,” he said. “When the price increases by that much, most of your margin goes away, and then only the very large volume (products) can play a role.”
At Schwartz’s, the numbers show that customers’ thirst for black cherry soda remains strong. Silva said his new supplier is now trying to keep up with their orders of 12-can cases.
“This morning, I ordered 100 cases, and he only had 87,” said Silva. “I just spoke to him, he’s trying to get me some more.”
Whatever happens with trade negotiations and tariffs, Silva doesn’t plan on going back.
Even if the cans of Cott’s Black Cherry Soda return, he said customers would stick with the made-in-Quebec can of Fleischer’s.
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