What is a loganberry? I do not know. To this day I have never seen a real live loganberry. I had to look it up and supposedly it’s some kind of hybrid berry- a cross between some kind of blackberry and some kind of raspberry. Blah, blah, blah… whatever. Everyone knows that the loganberry serves one purpose: to make the ultimate Buffalo beverage- loganberry drink. I can’t really put into words how it tastes. I suppose the closest relative to loganberry drink would be grape juice, though loganberry is a bit richer and tangier (but not as grapey, of course).
Loganberry is not pop (or “soda” for you downstaters). No carbonation, just a syrup-based drink. It’s available in any tried and true Buffalo eating establishment. (See my Ted’s and Mighty Taco posts.) As a kid, I would drink pop if it was around but my choice would usually be loganberry. When we went to Santora’s for pizza and wings, I’d order loganberry. A Ted’s hot dog wasn’t complete without loganberry to drink. Walk into any Buffalo supermarket and you can get it in cans or even 2-liter bottles. Unfortunately, my favorite brand- Aunt Rosie’s- no longer exists. An equal substitute is Cronfelt’s Crystal Beach syrup. You mix it with (ice cold) water to your desired sweetness.
Loganberry is just a fun drink. It is sweet, reminds me of summer and goes great with classic Buffalo foods like wings, pizza, Super Mightys, Ted’s hot dogs, beef on weck, and so on. It totally reminds me of my childhood and occasionally allows me to go back to simpler times.
