Cheerwine is a cherry-flavored soft drink by Carolina Beverage Corporation of Salisbury, North Carolina. It has been produced since 1917, claiming to be "the oldest continuing soft drink company still operated by the same family".[1]
Overview and history
When the Maysville Syrup Company of Maysville, Kentucky, went bankrupt in 1917, L.D. Peeler, Hughston Kirby, Kurt Weinmann and other invested businessmen purchased the company's assets, moved them to North Carolina and set up the Carolina Syrup Company.[2] That same year, Peeler, Kirby and Weinmann purchased a recipe for a cherry-flavored soda from a Saint Louis flavor salesman, which was then sold as a product for the new company under the name "Cheerwine".[3] Though it has been around since 1917, Cheerwine first became a registered trademark in 1926.[4]
A bottle and cup of Cheerwine at Mission BBQ in 2024
The family of Lewis Peeler has run the Cheerwine company since its founding, and his great-grandson,[5] Charles Clifford "Cliff" Ritchie,[6] has been CEO and president of Cheerwine's parent company, Carolina Beverage Corporation, since 1992.[7]
Cheerwine has a mildly sweet flavor with strong cherry notes, most notably black cherry; is burgundy-colored; and has an unusually high degree of carbonation compared to other soft drinks. The product was named for its color and taste; the company website states that "it made sense to name a burgundy-red, bubbly, cherry concoction—Cheerwine."[4] The "Retro Cheerwine" variant is sold in glass bottles and is sweetened with cane sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup. Despite its name, Cheerwine is not really a wine and contains no alcohol.
In 2008, a commercially baked Cheerwine cake, based on an old Southern recipe, became available through a Salisbury-based company.[10]
In 2009, the company began a re-branding campaign designed to revamp the drink's image, especially among younger consumers. The re-branding called for a redesign of the Cheerwine packaging, with a new, retro-style logo based on an early Cheerwine logo.[11]
In 2010, Cheerwine partnered with the North Carolina–based doughnut company, Krispy Kreme, and released a limited-offered Cheerwine flavored donut on July 1 of that year. It was sold only at select grocery stores for the month of July,[12] and at the Salisbury Krispy Kreme. The Cheerwine doughnut returned again in July 2011.[13][14]
In 2010, Canton, Ohio–based Old Carolina Barbecue became the first restaurant chain in Ohio to offer Cheerwine as a fountain drink.
By 2014, Cheerwine-based products including iced slushy,[15] Cheerwine cakes and floats had become a signature part of the Old Carolina concept.[16][17]
During the summers of 2016 and 2017, Cheerwine Kreme, a soda with the flavors of Cheerwine and Krispy Kreme, was sold.[18]
In 2017 the Cheerwine Recipe Book was published, by Sandy Carol Sider.
Cheerwine is sometimes mixed with Captain Morgan rum to make a drink called "Captain Cheerwine"[19] or the "Whining Pirate".[20]
Slogans have included "Born in the South. Raised in a Glass", "Nectar of the South", "Betcha can't not smile." and "Uniquely Southern".[21]
In April 2005, other regions of the United States began to bottle Cheerwine, mainly through Pepsi distributors.[5][27]
On March 9, 2011, The New York Times Diner's Journal referred to "The Expanding Cult of Cheerwine".[28]
On April 5, 2011, the company announced plans for nationwide distribution by 2017, the product's 100th anniversary. The same day, the company also introduced a new advertising campaign, "Born in the South. Raised in a glass."[1] At the time, Cheerwine was available in 12 percent of the nation.[29] Radio commercials for that campaign include "The Caper", where criminals left everything from a store except Cheerwine; and "Battle of the Bulge", in which a soldier from the Salisbury area has two bottles sent to him during World War II and gives one to his friend.[1]
Also in April 2011, Cheerwine announced it was searching for a woman to represent the company as "Miss Cheerwine". Candidates had to be 21 to 25 years old and live in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, or Virginia. A company spokesperson stated, "We’re looking for a poised, enthusiastic young woman who can help us spread the legend and get Cheerwine into the hands of our fans with charm, confidence, sweetness and a sense of fun."[30] On June 3, 2011, Spencer Cummings, named the first Miss Cheerwine, began the Miss Cheerwine Summer Legend Tour.[31]
On October 18, 2011, Cheerwine announced plans to partner with Pepsi Beverages Co. in Atlanta, Georgia, Florida, and Memphis, Tennessee. The same week, the company began using glass bottles to distribute the "Original 1917 Formula" with sugar, as well as introduced 12-pack cans.[29]
On June 16, 2014, Birmingham's Buffalo Rock Co. announced Cheerwine distribution in Alabama, western Georgia, and the Florida Panhandle. This added about 6.5 million potential new customers to their distribution footprint.[32]
^Purtell, David (May 31, 2015). "F&M Bank boards elect new chairman, two new directors". Salisbury Post. Archived from the original on December 28, 2016. Retrieved December 27, 2016. Ritchie is the president and CEO of Cheerwine Bottling Company and Carolina Beverage Corporation. He is a native of Rowan County and a graduate of Lenoir Rhyne University. Since returning to Salisbury to work in the family business, Ritchie has overseen the unprecedented growth of the Cheerwine brand and its affiliated bottling operations.
^Alfs, Lizzy (September 23, 2016). "How Cracker Barrel plans to lure millennials". The Tennessean. Archived from the original on April 5, 2023. Retrieved December 27, 2016. Lately, younger shoppers have been drawn to the vintage soda wall with options that include Cheerwine and Ale-8-One, artisan home decor, stained-glass lamps, retro T-shirts and vintage candies like Necco Wafers and Double Bubble.
^"Cheerwine expands into Norway". The Business Journal of the Greater Triad Area. January 13, 2003. Archived from the original on October 11, 2010. Retrieved July 13, 2010.
^Collins, Glenn (March 9, 2011). "The Expanding Cult of Cheerwine". Diner's Journal. New York Times. Archived from the original on December 21, 2011. Retrieved July 24, 2012.
