At Buffalo First’s Buy Buffalo Bash last month, I had the chance to mingle with many of Buffalo First’s members, including the Paul J. Janik, Jr. and John Janik, third generation owners and operators of Johnnie Ryan Beverages.
Johnnie Ryan was founded in 1935 by John Janik, Paul and John’s great grandfather. The Niagara Falls bottling plant has been supplying soda to area restaurants and supermarkets ever since.
Until recently, Johnnie Ryan’s beverage line was limited to “bag in box” soda fountain packaging and 2 liter bottles. But the Janik’s saw an opportunity to join the increasingly popular gourmet beverage market and have developed a new product that tastes delicious and looks good too.
These slim, handsome 12 oz. glass bottles contain soda sweetened with 100% pure cane sugar, just the way their grandfather made it. The use of pure cane sugar increases the beverages “drinkability” and the glass bottles help to maintain the quality of the product and its carbonation level. Available in classic flavors like cola, cherry, cream soda, ginger ale, orange soda and root beer, the 4-packs retail for around $4 at area stores including Wegmans, Tops and Dash’s.
For more information about the Johnnie Ryan story, check out their well-designed website.