Cheerwine

I have it shipped into my place every few months, folks from the South flip out when they see I have it, I didn't know anything about it when I first bought it, I just liked the name, anyone know it's history?

I'm interested to read this thread.
In all my travels, I only recall encountering it once. I remember enjoying it, but I don't really remember it.

www.cheerwine.com
Found some interesting history here....

Back when I drank sodas I loved a Cheerwine now and then. I'd probably think it was too sweet now. I do like a very easy punch made with Cheerwine: equal parts of pineapple juice and Cheerwine; chill them separately, then add to a punch bowl at the same time; garnish with an ice ring of pineapple slices and maraschino cherries.

Another good thing to do with Cheerwine is Firehouse Cherry Ice Cream:
Mix up your favorite vanilla ice cream recipe, substitute almond extract for the vanilla; add a large jar of chopped maraschino cherries with the juice and a 12 oz. can of Cheerwine. I think this was first made at the fire station in Salisbury, NC, home of Cheerwine.

I am lucky to be able to pick it up anytime I want, it has a very unique flavor. I am surprised they don't sell it in other states as it seems to be in demand. When I travel I do find myself missing it.

quote:

Originally posted by annpeeples

www.cheerwine.com
Found some interesting history here....

What is the difference between "Original Cheerwine" and "Cheerwine" ???

That sound great will have to try![:D

quote:

Originally posted by tcrouzer

Back when I drank sodas I loved a Cheerwine now and then. I'd probably think it was too sweet now. I do like a very easy punch made with Cheerwine: equal parts of pineapple juice and Cheerwine; chill them separately, then add to a punch bowl at the same time; garnish with an ice ring of pineapple slices and maraschino cherries.

Another good thing to do with Cheerwine is Firehouse Cherry Ice Cream:
Mix up your favorite vanilla ice cream recipe, substitute almond extract for the vanilla; add a large jar of chopped maraschino cherries with the juice and a 12 oz. can of Cheerwine. I think this was first made at the fire station in Salisbury, NC, home of Cheerwine.

This regional brand is so iconic, even I have heard of it way up here in Upstate NY. Perhaps it should have been included in the current Roadfood gift poll...I would have voted for it.

Love cheerwine! One of my favorite things when I moved to NC. Of course, diet cheerwine was the norm, but an ice cold bottle of cheerwine with a hotdog at Yum Yums on Spring Garden Street in Greensboro was the best. The ice cream, there, was pretty awesome, too. A definate roadfood establishment.

Growing up in the Carolinas, I even had Cheerwine cake at a birthday party one time! I love the stuff. I picked up a bottle last month when I was visiting and noticed that they had changed their logo again. For several years, it was a modern, stylized logo with "Cheerwine" running diagonally up the label; now it is a retro, circular logo that's similar to the one used when I was a kid in the late '70s/early '80s.

Cheerwine is best consumed upon opening. It gets flat really quickly, hence the big 2-liter bottles aren't your best bet, fyi. Chris

For a short period of time about a year & a half ago, the Wal-Mart in Marianna somehow got stocked with Cheerwine, Sun-Drop,
Big Red & Vernors, thanks to the local 7-Up bottler who was trying to get started on their own after being dropped from
(Buffalo Rock) Pepsi in favor of Sierra Mist.

Unfortunately, Cheerwine & Sun-Drop disappeared from the shelves, Vernors (12-packs returned last week) was in short supply
(thanks to the numerous Michiganders who are down here), & after the smoke cleared, Big Red (why?) earned itself a regular
spot in the soda aisle along with Squirt.

Kind of an odd thing...My son works at the Louisville Kroger Distribution Center. In the employee vending machines at that facility Cheerwine is one of the selections (along with other sodas), yet you cannot find Cherwine in any of the Kroger Stores serviced by this center??

I like Cheerwine, I find it a bit sweet when compared to some other cherry flavored sodas (Sprecher's).

Mayor Al, can relate to your story about the rare Cheerwine sightings: First, when we took our car in to get the oil changed,
the vending machine (at the time, it's now been replaced with usual fare) had 20-oz bottles of Dad's, Dad's Red Creme Soda &
Ski, but (AFAIK) they weren't in any of the local stores.

Second, in going to a Books-A-Million, their cafe also had the 20-oz. Dad's products, but on a later visit to Dothan, the
1-liter bottles of regular Dad's turned up in the Southside K-Mart.

(of course now the World Market in Panama City has the Dad's with real sugar in glass bottles at a 4-pack for $3.99)

Rmcielwain... I'm so glad you posted ! Did the Dothan Southside K-Mart have the Dad's sodas in diet sugar-free ? If they do My hubby & I will go there and get some !

Greetings, Iqdiva!

My last trip to Southside K-Mart was back in early July, during the days of the $4 gas (we filled up at Flying J that
day for around $3.85). They might have it (I'm not a diet person, for the most part), and the regulars were going at
$1 a bottle.

Have not made it up to Graceville in a long time (usually take the Campbellton bypass to Dothan) - I do have a
recommendation for the Oaks Restaurant on the east side of Marianna: we got to their lunch buffet (with catfish)
on the Friday before Thanksgiving, & the place was nearly packed!

quote:

Originally posted by rmcielwain


Greetings, Iqdiva!

My last trip to Southside K-Mart was back in early July, during the days of the $4 gas (we filled up at Flying J that
day for around $3.85). They might have it (I'm not a diet person, for the most part), and the regulars were going at
$1 a bottle.

Have not made it up to Graceville in a long time (usually take the Campbellton bypass to Dothan) - I do have a
recommendation for the Oaks Restaurant on the east side of Marianna: we got to their lunch buffet (with catfish)
on the Friday before Thanksgiving, & the place was nearly packed!

Thanks honey ... Mr. Paul & I will go to K-mart & look for'em ... And,we'll also make a little road trip to The Oaks for their buffet !

Had Cheerwine for the first time last year at a Portland eatery called Pine State Biscuits. Thought it a bit sweet.

A kind RoadFooder sent me some from NC a couple of years ago. I took a few cans with me to a Glee Club gathering in Round Rock/Austin and shared a little bit. My brother (from near Baton Rouge) went absolutely berserk over the stuff, though, and the last I heard was ordering it by the case-load from the company. I think he was mixing it with vodka or something, though. (He always was a bit odd, that brother, so we tried to watch out for him.)

I was down in Tennessee last week and I picked up some Dr. Enuff Cherry.  It's pretty good.  Now, it's been years since I've had Cheerwine, so I really can't remember exactly what it tastes like, but I would be interested if anyone who is familar with both Dr. Enuff Cherry and Cheerwine would say the sodas are pretty similar or slightly different.

When I lived in SC, it was on all the grocery store shelves. I tried it, and thought it tasted like a super super sweet Dr. Pepper.. I also tried their ice cream or sherbert (cant remember which one it was) and also found it way too sweet.
I didnt care for it at all, but then again, I don't drink a lot of soda, and am not that big of a sweet eater.

I loved cheerwine but I have not seen it in years.  Glad to know its still around

chewingthefat


I have it shipped into my place every few months, folks from the South flip out when they see I have it, I didn't know anything about it when I first bought it, I just liked the name, anyone know it's history?

Cheerwine is bottled by Carolina Beverage Corporation in Salisbury,North Carolina  and has been since 1917.
 
According to their web site, they have 15 distributors in North Carolina, 9 in Georgia (they just opened up the Atlanta market this year), 6 in Virginia, 5 each in Tennessee and Virginia, 3 in West Virginia, 2 in Alabama, 1 in New Haven, Missouri and 1 in Modesto, California.
 
Since I grew up in North Carolina, I have been fortunate enough to always have Cheerwine available. When I visit family members who no longer live in Cheerwine country, I can't get in the door unless I have a supply of Cheerwine with me.