PJ's
1000 Gamma Dr. Suite 500, Pittsburgh, PA 15238
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"Up until the last, fateful sip of the glass we made from PJ's Crystal Beach Original Loganberry Syrup, we were set to share some good news: flavor-wise, it's not bad."

Is it the nectar of the gods? For Western New Yorkers who grew up with loganberry drink - a truly local beverage we've discussed at length elsewhere - it's something close, a slightly bitter but largely sweet and fruity beverage made from a blackberry-raspberry hybrid. Unfortunately, readers have been discovering that loganberry drink is becoming harder to find by the bottle or can, and they're also seeking ways to make it themselves at home from syrup. Only one brand seems to be growing at all right now, and that's PJ's Crystal Beach Original Loganberry, the syrup version of which is the subject of this article. We wanted to know how PJ's syrup matched up with its more established competitors, so we did a little taste-testing to see whether it was worth recommending.

Any discussion of loganberry syrups should start with Cronfelt's Crystal Beach Beverage Syrup, the only remaining one of two "original" loganberry drinks that's known to still exist. It's the best of the bunch, and also the most difficult to find now in the United States. Premier Gourmet, a Buffalo-based retailer that previously stocked it, has recently replaced Cronfelt's with PJ's, but we've kept a bottle of Cronfelt's around for comparison. Four parts water to one part syrup, it's the lightest-looking once mixed, but has the most syrupy consistency: just enough not to taste watery in any way. Like the raspberries and blackberries that loganberry comes from, it has a slight bitterness on the first sip, which gives way to a sweet, fruity flavor, and is a really good version of the loganberry drink: a great balance of sweetness and loganberry flavor. You mightn't appreciate its complexity when you drink it by itself, but compared to the others, it's a little more interesting.

Aunt Rosie's Loganberry Syrup is a close second, but the flavor's not as complex as Cronfelt's. Similarly made with four parts water to one part syrup, the consistency is similar to Cronfelt's but a hint less thick, and the color of the drink is considerably darker. Aunt Rosie's flavor ups the sweetness while reducing the bitterness - a difference that's mostly noticeable when doing a direct comparison, and never stopped us from enjoying this brand.

Up until the last, fateful sip of the glass we made from PJ's Crystal Beach Original Loganberry Syrup, we were set to share some good news: though it's not quite as good as Aunt Rosie's and therefore an extra step below Cronfelt's, PJ's seemed like a pretty good substitute. Here, the mix is recommended at five parts water to one part syrup, which made PJ's version a little more watery - dropping the water to four parts helps a little. In either case, it doesn't have the bitter start of Cronfelt's or the sugary end flavor of Aunt Rosie's, but a modestly lighter than Cronfelt's fruity taste appeared in the center of each sip. There was nothing complex about the taste, but as an Aunt Rosie's wannabe, it's not bad.

Except for what you see in the pictures here: particles of something that had settled out in the bottle were in the bottom of our glass and then all over the inside of the syrup container. They tasted a little waxy, like a preservative that hadn't quite bonded properly with what was inside, and we were really grossed out when we discovered them at the end of that first glass. We whipped up a second, clean glass to confirm that it was stuff in the bottle rather than in our cup, and it was definitely the bottle. It wasn't something we'd recommend that our readers try.

So what's the solution? Apparently, as Aunt Rosie's seems to be disappearing and competitor Johnnie Ryan's hasn't been appearing in local stores, the only option seems to be to horde Aunt Rosie's locally while you can still find it. The syrup containers have basically disappeared, but the cans can still be had at Consumer's Beverages in 12-packs; the web site Sodafinder.com also sells the 12-packs for a stunning $20 each for those in desperate need of a loganberry fix. We're hoping that we never become desperate enough to have to pay prices like that.