Can shortage takes fizz out of Schwartz’s cherry soda

Customers looking for the classic combo of smoked meat and black cherry soda at Schwartz’s will have to have something else to drink.

The iconic Montreal deli ran out of cans of Cott Black Cherry soda around two weeks ago and hasn’t been able to get more from its supplier, which is facing a shortage of aluminum cans, Schwartz’s manager Frank Silva said.

“That’s the situation now and it’s going to be another two weeks at least,” he said.

Customers aren’t happy about being forced to make a substitution, Silva said. “They don’t think it’s funny, they say, ‘what do you mean, you have no Black Cherry, it doesn’t make any sense,’ ” he said.

Because the problem is being caused by a shortage of aluminum cans, that’s led to speculation that it was caused by tariffs on aluminum imports.

In May, the Donald Trump administration ended a tariff exemption for imports of Canadian aluminum to the United States. Canada quickly responded with a 10 per cent tariff of its own.

“My supplier told me that Mr. Trump is to blame for it,” Silva said.

Other bottling companies aren’t having the same problems. Silva said Schwartz’s has no trouble getting Coca-Cola products.

It’s only cans of Cott soda, a brand now owned by Netherlandsbased Refresco, that are unobtainable, Silva said, and for Schwartz’s, that means no Black Cherry.