Wishniak Cherry Soda

[Holly Moore]

So what makes Cherry Soda, Wishniak? Is it like Haagan Das or is it a variety of Cherry or an Indian Tribe or what?

[rlibkind]

As best as I can determine wishniak (var. wisniak, visniak) started as cherry liquor, probably eastern European, probably Polish/Jewish. One cocktail, "lady finger," calls for wishniak: 4 parts gin, 3 parts wishniak, 2 parts kirschwasser.

I searched, in vain, for a town called Wishniak (or one of its variants), thinking that perhaps it was a center of cherry orchards, but was unable to find one. Hmmmm. Cherry Orchards. Perhaps a Chekovian quaff.

[cdh]

No idea what makes it so, but today I did see a Canada Dry cherry wishniak soda... first time ever I've seen it. Must pick one up and give it a try.

Anybody know if Frank's is still in business? Their cherry wishniak was really good, and I've not seen it around in a long time.

[mrbigjas]

No idea what makes it so, but today I did see a Canada Dry cherry wishniak soda... first time ever I've seen it.  Must pick one up and give it a try.

Anybody know if Frank's is still in business?  Their cherry wishniak was really good, and I've not seen it around in a long time.

Frank's is still available, although I don't know who owns it or if it's the same as it always was or anything.

There's really nothing like a sweet soda to cut through the grease of a cheesesteak or pork sandwich. I'd rather have a wishniak with those meals than a beer, and that's really saying something.

[Andrew Fenton]

There's really nothing like a sweet soda to cut through the grease of a cheesesteak or pork sandwich.  I'd rather have a wishniak with those meals than a beer, and that's really saying something.

Ditto. It's like strawberry soda with KCMO barbecue: the only time I'd drink the stuff.

[cinghiale]

As best as I can determine wishniak (var. wisniak, visniak) started as cherry liquor, probably eastern European, probably Polish/Jewish

I remember reading in the Inquirer a number of years ago what I thought was an interview w/someone about Frank's. I remember the discussion about black cherry stemming from "vishniak". I've searched the Inky archives in vain, though I did find an interesting story about Day's, whose black cherry I very much enjoy. I can't link to it, so I'll include a brief quote that, I believe, is just under the fair-use limits on eG:

From "Day's Returns to the City -- A Son Revives Family Soda Operation", by Joseph N. DiStefano, Inky, 9/1/97.

The article is an interview with David DiGirolamo, who was having success reviving Day's, which was founded by his father, Alfred "Freddy Day" DiGirolamo, in 1947. The bottling plant was located for 20 years at Front and Tasker.

According to the article, citing DiGirolamo, "Day's was one of 63 independent soda bottling plants that dotted the city at the industry's peak in the late 1940s. Among the biggest at that time were Frank's and Primo in South Philadelphia, Gruber's in Fairhill, Javies in Manayunk, Puerto Rico on Germantown Avenue, and Sweetie in Northern Liberties. Although the bottlers are gone, a few of the brands, notably Frank's fruit drinks and Hires root beer, are still marketed by out-of-town bottlers who have bought the names and formulas. DiGirolamo says those brands have endured because they slake Philadelphians' peculiar thirsts. He says Day's tries to do the same: The cream soda is clear - not brown, like some national brands - because clear, he says, is how locals like it. The black cherry is called wishniak, a Polish name picked up by Jewish-owned city bottlers like Frank's a century ago."

[rlibkind]

Mystery solved! Wisniak and its variations is not a city or geographic location. It's much simpler than that.

The word for "cherry" in Polish is: Wisnia. (I can't seem to find a way to put the correct accent over the "s".)

So, "Wishniak" black cherry soda is a bilingual redundancy.

[Holly Moore]

Well done!

[Mistinguett]

I might be wrong, but I always though Wishnia is sour cherry...

[plax]

Thanks for the trip down memory lane! When I was in college in Philadelphia, my big treat after a Sunday of studying was a roast beef hoagie and a bottle of Frank's Black Cherry Wishniak. The IBC black cherry is good but doesn't have the sentimental memories!

[Double 0]

When I was growing up in Long Island (NY) in the late 50's and early 60's we use to get soda delivered in heavy glass bottles in wooden crates. The flavor that always went first was the wishnik. We all loved that stuff. I think they had other fruit flavors, orange and pinapple come to mind. Soda just doesn't taste like that anymore. I'd could go for one right now. I think the brand name was Hoffman. I wonder if there was any relationship.

[rlibkind]

Hoffman's was a great NY area brand, bottled in East Orange NJ. I remember the water tower atop their plant in the shape of their bottle with their label.