We’re cheers-ing to a new month and also, hey Canada Day, tomorrow with this Loganberry Cocktail. We all need some cheers, and these are two pretty good reasons.

Now, I know what you’re thinking and I promise you that I didn’t make up a loganberry. It’s an actual berry- a cross between a blackberry and raspberry and made famous in my mind by a delicious drink native to my hometown away from home, a tiny town just north of the Buffalo border, Fort Erie.

loganberry juice cocktail

It’s this time of the year that I get a little nostalgic for my childhood. While everyone here in Michigan flocks “Up North,” we did, too, in a way, when I was a kid. We (as in the parents) drove the 27 hours from Miami to Buffalo to cross the Peace Bridge and camp out at the grandparents for the summer. Swimming in lakes and rivers and climbing trees and fishing in the creek and playing stick ball in the park and mini-golf on the Boulevard, our summers were every kid’s dream. While everyone gets special treats and grandma and grandpa’s, ours was very special since it was native to really just this little pocket of Ontario. It was in the form of Loganberry Juice, a sugary, non-caffeinated fruit punch of sorts, made famous at the now-defunct Crystal Beach amusement park, but still held dear by those who call Western New York home.

loganberry vodka

If you want more history, check out this little article about the glory of Loganberry juice here.

As we’re staring down the days between July 1 and July 4, I can’t help but celebrate both of my countries as we did back then. These days when even the friendliest border is closed to us and the days and weeks seem so long, it’s hard to remember a time when both countries celebrated the Friendship Festival, a little fair that happened every year at the border to celebrate both countries’ holidays. Fireworks across the river and all.

Now that we’re adults, in my house we’re celebrating like we did as children with ice cold loganberry, with a twist. A nice lime twist. With a not-that-small splash of vodka.

loganberry cocktail

Yeah, adulting.

Four ingredients:

Loganberry syrup (you can buy some here)

Vodka

Lime juice

Seltzer

I made two versions of this: with more or less seltzer. I liked it one way, Mom liked it the other. Depending on how sweet you like your stuff, you can double the amount of seltzer in the recipe below if you desire.

Cheers to that. Happy Canada Day!