| Type | Cherry soda |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Carolina Beverage Corporation |
| Distributor | Local bottlers and distributors |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Introduced | 1917 |
| Variants | Diet Cheerwine Retro Cheerwine |
Cheerwine is a cherry-flavored soft drink produced by the Carolina Beverage Corporation of Salisbury, North Carolina. It has been produced since 1917 by "the oldest continuing soft drink company still run by the same family".[1]
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When the Maysville Syrup Company of Maysville, Kentucky went bankrupt in 1917, L.D. Peeler and other invested businessmen moved the company to North Carolina and renamed it the Carolina Beverage Corporation.[2] That same year, Peeler purchased a recipe for a cherry flavored soda from a Saint Louis flavor salesman, which eventually became Cheerwine.[3] Though it had been around since 1917, Cheerwine first became a registered trademark in 1926.[4]
Cheerwine has a very sweet cherry flavor, 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.
The company also markets Cheerwine flavored ice cream, sherbet, and cream bars, mainly in Food Lion, a Salisbury-based supermarket chain.[5] A commercially-baked Cheerwine cake, based on an old Southern recipe, became available through a Salisbury-based company in 2008.[6]
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.[7]
Cheerwine partnered with the North Carolina-based donut company, Krispy Kreme, and released a limited-offered Cheerwine flavored donut on July 1, 2010. It was only offered at select grocery stores for the month of July,[8] and at the Salisbury Krispy Kreme; after July 31, this was the only place to get them. The Cheerwine doughnut returned for July 2011.[9][10]
Morgan Shepherd ran an entry in the Nascar Busch Series (now the Nationwide Series) in the mid-1990s with Cheerwine sponsorship.
Cheerwine is available in much of the southeastern United States, from West Virginia south to Florida, but is better known in the Carolinas and Virginia. Other spots to find Cheerwine are the many "specialty soda" stores throughout the country. In addition, it is also available in Norway because of the hard work and dedication of Paul Grant, a local of Salisbury and Norway enthusiast.[11]
In April 2005, other regions of the United States began to bottle Cheerwine, mainly through Pepsi distributors.[12]
A fan-created website, CheerwineFinder.com, was launched with the purpose of enabling people to find and identify local Cheerwine retailers.[13]
On April 5, 2011, the company announced plans for nationwide distribution by 2017, which would be 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.[14] Radio commercials 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 be 21 to 25 years old and live in Georgia, Maryland, 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."[15] On June 3, 2011, Spencer Cummings, named the first Miss Cheerwine, began the Miss Cheerwine Summer Legend Tour.[16]
On October 18, 2011, Cheerwine announced plans to partner with Pepsi Beverages Co. in Florida, Atlanta, and Memphis, Tennessee. The introduction of Cheerwine on the campus of the University of Florida started a moderate Cheerwine craze with the student body. The same week, the company began using glass bottles to distribute the "Original 1917 Formula" with sugar, as well as introducing 12-pack cans.[14]
A company that studies product placement called MoviePlacement.com reports that Cheerwine recently began showing up in movies starting with a placement in Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector.
It also showed up in the pivotal ending of Season 1 of the HBO Series, Eastbound and Down.
In the movie The Gravedancers, a vending machine can be seen repeatedly in the house that Vincent Cochet and Francis Culpepper run their studies in.
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