old-style european black cherry wishniak soda

in old, eastern europe, black cherry, "czarny wiśnia" was a liquore better known as wisniak.  when the immigrants came to settle in and around philadelphia, large bottler companies sprung up.  in the early 1930's and 1940's the biggest bottlers were frank's and primo in south philadelphia, gruber's in fairhill, javies in manayunk, and sweetie in northern liberties. they sold this confectioner's delight in a bottle ... hence, one of the most popular sodas in the u.s.a. was born.