Crystal Beach Roller Coaster

Local couple to expand business, put new spin on product

story SARATOGA SPRINGS — What do you get when you cross a raspberry, a blackberry and an aluminum can?

A sweet drink that goes great with barbecue, say John “PJ” and Carolyn Davis, owners of the iconic PJ’s Bar-B-Q restaurant on Route 9.

On April 18, the Davises will kick off their 26th year “in the pit” by rolling out a new look for their patented Crystal Beach Loganberry drink, which they’ve sold through their beverage company, Sarasoda Inc. , since 1998.

The loganberry is a cross-breed of the raspberry and blackberry that was discovered in the 1880s by an American lawyer and horticulturist named James Harvey Logan, who grew the plants in Santa Cruz, Calif.

As teenagers, Carolyn and PJ first tasted the Loganberry drink at the Crystal Beach amusement park near their hometown of Buffalo, and later concocted an original recipe to recreate the taste, which they now sell as Original and Diet Loganberry.

The beverage, a non-carbonated, non-caffeine fruit drink currently marketed throughout the Northeast in plastic bottles, will hit shelves in 12-ounce aluminum cans this spring. (Read full article, watch video)

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