 | |
| Type | Soft drink |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Carolina Beverage Corporation |
| Distributor | Local bottlers and distributors |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Introduced | 1917 |
| Color | Burgundy |
| Flavor | Black cherry |
| Variants |
|
| Website | www |
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]
When the Maysville Syrup Company of Maysville, Kentucky, went bankrupt in 1917, L.D. Peeler, Hughston Kirby, Kurt Weinmann and other invested businessmen moved the company to North Carolina and renamed it 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 eventually became Cheerwine. [3] Though it has been around since 1917, Cheerwine first became a registered trademark in 1926. [4]
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.
As of July 2021, Cheerwine's ingredients included carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, caramel color, phosphoric acid, natural and artificial flavors, caffeine, citric acid, sodium benzoate (to protect flavor), and Red 40. [8]
The company also markets Cheerwine-flavored ice cream, sherbet, and cream bars, mainly in Food Lion, a Salisbury, North Carolina–based supermarket chain. [9]
In the mid-1990s Morgan Shepherd ran an entry in the NASCAR Busch Series with Cheerwine sponsorship.
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]
Cheerwine is currently available in much of the southeastern United States, from Maryland south to Florida, but is better known in the Carolinas. [5] Other spots to find Cheerwine are the many "specialty soda" stores throughout the country, as well as WinCo Foods in Washington state, Cracker Barrel restaurants, [5] [22] [23] Cook Out restaurants, [24] Sheetz convenience stores in Ohio and Pennsylvania, and overseas, in Oslo, Norway. [25] It is sold as a glass bottle, 2 liter, 12 pack or as a pack of four glass bottles, and is available as a fountain drink at some restaurants and convenience stores. [26]
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, 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]
A soft drink is any water-based flavored drink, usually but not necessarily carbonated, and typically including added sweetener. Flavors used can be natural or artificial. The sweetener may be a sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, fruit juice, a sugar substitute, or some combination of these. Soft drinks may also contain caffeine, colorings, preservatives and other ingredients.
Mountain Dew, stylized as Mtn Dew in some countries, is a carbonated soft drink brand produced and owned by PepsiCo. The original formula was invented in 1940 by Tennessee beverage bottlers Barney and Ally Hartman. A revised formula was created by Bill Bridgforth in 1958. The rights to this formula were obtained by the Tip Corporation of Marion, Virginia. William H. "Bill" Jones of the Tip Corporation further refined the formula, launching that version of Mountain Dew in 1961. In August 1964, the Mountain Dew brand and production rights were acquired from Tip by the Pepsi-Cola company, and the distribution expanded across the United States and Canada.
7 Up or Seven Up is an American brand of lemon-lime–flavored non-caffeinated soft drink. The brand and formula are owned by Keurig Dr Pepper, although the beverage is internationally distributed by PepsiCo.
Krispy Kreme, Inc. is an American multinational doughnut company and coffeehouse chain.
Orangina is a lightly carbonated beverage made from carbonated water, 12% citrus juice, as well as 2% orange pulp. Orangina is sweetened with sugar or high fructose corn syrup and in some markets with artificial sweetener. Natural flavors are also added.
Jones Soda Co. is a Canadian-American beverage company based in Seattle, Washington, United States. It bottles and distributes soft drinks, non-carbonated beverages, energy drinks, and candy.
A soda fountain is a device that dispenses carbonated soft drinks, called fountain drinks. They can be found in restaurants, concession stands and other locations such as convenience stores. The artifact combines flavored syrup or syrup concentrate and carbon dioxide with chilled and purified water to make soft drinks, either manually, or in a vending machine which is essentially an automated soda fountain that is operated using a soda gun. Today, the syrup often is pumped from a special container called a bag-in-box (BiB).
The Coca-Cola Company is an American multinational corporation founded in 1892. It produces Coca-Cola. The drink industry company also manufactures, sells, and markets other non-alcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups, and alcoholic beverages. The company's stock is listed on the NYSE and is part of the DJIA and the S&P 500 and S&P 100 indexes.
Sun Drop is a citrus-flavored soft drink produced by Keurig Dr Pepper with a yellowish-green color. Among soft drinks, it is known for its high caffeine content. Orange juice is an ingredient in the drink, and remaining pulp matter from the orange juice provides some of the soft drink's taste and appearance. Sun Drop competes primarily against the Coca-Cola Company's Mello Yello and PepsiCo's Mountain Dew.
Shasta Beverages is an American soft drink manufacturer that markets a value-priced soft drink line with a wide variety of soda flavors, as well as a few drink mixers, under the brand name Shasta. The company name is derived from Mount Shasta in northern California and the associated Shasta Springs.
An ice cream float or ice cream soda, also known as a spider in Australia and New Zealand, is a chilled beverage that consists of ice cream in either a soft drink or a mixture of flavored syrup and carbonated water.
A Luther Burger, or doughnut burger, is a hamburger or cheeseburger with one or more glazed doughnuts in place of the bun. These burgers have a disputed origin, and tend to run between approximately 800 and 1,500 calories.
An Italian soda is a soft drink made from carbonated water and flavored syrup. Flavors can be fruit or modeled after the flavors of desserts, spices, or other beverages. Some vendors add cream to the drink as well, which is often then known as a French soda or an Italian cream soda.
Monster Beverage Corporation is an American beverage company that manufactures energy drinks including Monster Energy, Relentless and Burn. The company was originally founded as Hansen's in 1935 in Southern California, originally selling juice products. The company renamed itself as Monster Beverage in 2012.
The Krispy Kreme Challenge is an annual charity event in which participants run a 2.5-mile (4 km) road course leading to a Krispy Kreme Doughnuts shop, eat one dozen doughnuts, and run the 2.5-mile (4 km) back to the finish line in under 1 hour. The event began in 2004 and is still planned and executed by Park Scholars at North Carolina State University in Raleigh N.C. Profits from the race are donated to North Carolina Children's Hospital, and the 2023 race brought total donations to over $2.1 million. The Krispy Kreme Challenge is not affiliated with the Krispy Kreme company.
Krispy Kreme UK is the United Kingdom subsidiary of Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, an American company. The UK headquarters are in Camberley, Surrey.
This is a page on the global operations of Krispy Kreme.
Blue Sky Beverage Company was a beverage company that produced soft drinks and energy drinks. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Monster Beverage Corporation. The company was established in Santa Fe, New Mexico, in 1980, where it remained until it was purchased by Monster in 2000. Coca-Cola North America took ownership of Blue Sky Sodas, Hansen’s Juice Products, Hansen’s Natural Sodas, Hubert’s Lemonade, Peace Tea and other non-energy drink brands as part of Coke’s partnership with Monster Beverage Corp on Jun 12, 2015. Blue Sky Beverage Company now operates out of Corona, California. The southwestern look and feel of the artwork on the soda cans is reminiscent of the company's roots in New Mexico.
NuGrape is a brand of grape-flavored soda pop. The NuGrape brand was created in 1906, first bottled in 1921, and by April 1933, The National NuGrape Company was founded in Atlanta, Georgia. In 1922, licensing rights were sold to the Olla Bottling Works in Olla, Louisiana where it was made and distributed for many years. NuGrape was followed up by the popular Sun Crest brand of soft drinks in 1938. In 1965, the National NuGrape Company introduced Kickapoo Joy Juice, a product based on Al Capp's Li'l Abner comic strip. All three brands were acquired in 1968 by The Moxie Company. In 1970, Moxie-Monarch-NuGrape discontinued domestic U.S. sales of Kickapoo Joy Juice.
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.
The food section is stacked with cream soda, moon pies, apple butter and Cheerwine…
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.
