The soft drink market can be overwhelming, but there’s only one brand that’s uniquely southern. Cheerwine has been run by the same family since 1917, serving all the southern taste buds. Wondering where you can get Cheerwine? Wait, what is Cheerwine anyway?
What is Cheerwine?
During a shortage of sugar in 1917, Cheerwine was created by L.D. Peeler. A St. Louis salesman sold him the wild cherry flavor, and he was hooked. Peeler named the drink Cheerwine, after its “burgundy-red color and cheery disposition.”
Cheerwine soon became a southern classic, but even stretched its reach to the White House. “Ike likes!” became an infamous phrase for the brand after President Dwight Eisenhower had a taste of the beverage in 1953. Thirty-nine years later, President George H.W. Bush Sr also took a liking to the cherry flavor, venturing all the way to Salisbury, North Carolina (the home of Cheerwine) for a 4th of July celebration. Now, where can you find Cheerwine?
What Stores Carry Cheerwine?
Nationwide, all Cracker Barrel General Stores, Cost Plus World Market (beverage section) and The Fresh Market carry Cheerwine glass bottles. Many major grocery stores also carry Cheerwine at select locations. In Winston-Salem, this includes Food Lion, Lowes Foods, Harris Teeter, Publix, Walmart, Target, and more. Other chains such as Mast General Store bring the drink to the public too.
I Can’t Find Cheerwine. What Do I Do?
Not every store or location sells Cheerwine though, so the best way to find this uniquely Southern beverage is to use their Cheerwine locator. You can even specifically filter for Cheerwine or Diet Cheerwine in 12 pack cans, 2-Liters, 6 pack bottles, and more.
If the beverage isn’t available near you, you can order it here.
Can I Do Anything Else with Cheerwine?
This southern drink isn’t only for drinking though (but you can make cocktails and other drinks with it too). You can cook up many different recipes using Cheerwine from chicken wings to pulled pork, which could be served with a side such as Cheerwine sweet potatoes. To finish off a uniquely Southern meal, you can even use Cheerwine to make a tasty bundt cake.
Cheerwine has even teamed up with other Southern brands to create delectable desserts on their own. Food Lion, founded in Salisbury, North Carolina as well, partnered with Cheerwine in 2002 to create Cheerwine Ice Cream. The line included sherbet, pops, cream bars, and Cheerwine swirl. Another North Carolina native, Krispy Kreme, helped create a Cheerwine Doughnut in 2010. The tables turned in 2016 when Cheerwine Kreme was introduced as a limited-time flavor of the beverage (in addition to Cheerwine Holiday Punch in 2014, and Cheerwine Squeeze in 2015).
What Restaurants Serve Cheerwine?
Restaurant partners include Cook Out, Bojangles, Cracker Barrel, and Biscuitville. Other restaurants also offer the Southern beverage. Winston-Salem restaurants include, but are not limited to, Darios, Bib’s Downtown, Small Batch, Camel City BBQ, Burke Street Pizza, Cin Cin Burger Bar, and The Loop Pizza Grill. The drink pairs so well with barbeque that it is the official soft drink sponsor of National Barbecue & Grilling Association.
Speaking of grilling, Cheerwine and Cackalacky also collaborated to make a marinade and grilling sauce. There are also tons of recipes to make your own sauces.
Cheerwine Obsessed?
If you are obsessed with Cheerwine like me, you can make it part of your special day, as gifts, décor, or celebratory shots (with or without alcohol).
You can also celebrate the cherry drink at the annual Cheerwine Festival in Salisbury, NC, which started in 2017 to celebrate their 100th birthday. Now that’s Southern heritage.