The year was 1917, and the trouble was a sugar shortage caused by the first World War. In response, L.D. Peeler set out on a mission to invent a soda that required less sugar than usual. His solution was Cheerwine, a cola with wild cherry flavoring.
Developed during the age of the temperance movement, Cheerwine, like many early sodas, was meant to appeal to proponents of Prohibition. Cheerwine’s original slogan, “For health and pleasure,” suggested that the nonalcoholic, burgundy beverage was a superior choice for health-conscious drinkers. It also capitalized on a cherry-flavored food trend, which was all the rage in 1917.
Though Cheerwine contains no actual wine, drinkers are purportedly filled with cheer upon first sip. Like ginger ale, Cheerwine is named for its closeness in color to the alcoholic beverage. The taste has been likenedto Dr Pepper mixed with cherry syrup (though for the record, Cheerwine was invented 92 years before Dr Pepper Cherry). It’s also more heavily carbonated than the average soda. In fact, Cheerwine is so bubbly that modern drink machines can’t always handle it, and some restaurants offering Cheerwine reportbuyingold-fashioned soda fountains to serve it draft-style.
Four years prior to developing Cheerwine, Peeler had invested in the Kentucky-based Mint-Cola Bottling Company and started a local franchise in Salisbury, North Carolina. When Mint-Cola’s parent company went bankrupt during the war, Peeler purchased his local branch and used it to found the Carolina Beverage Corporation. He started selling Cheerwine, and in 1924, changed the name to the Piedmont Cheerwine Bottling Company.
Cheerwine is the first American bottled cherry soda and remains family owned to this day. L.D.’s great-grandson, Cliff Ritchie, is now in charge of the company.Today, Cheerwine is North Carolina’s favorite drink to pair with BBQ, which the company refers to as a “Southern handshake.” Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and George H. W. Bush havesang the soda’s praises while visiting North Carolina. But in recent years, Cheerwine has receivedflack for being too sweet—a strange fate for the soda developed in response to a sugar shortage.
FAQs
Like ginger ale, Cheerwine is named for its closeness in color to the alcoholic beverage. The taste has been likened to Dr Pepper mixed with cherry syrup (though for the record, Cheerwine was invented 92 years before Dr Pepper Cherry). It's also more heavily carbonated than the average soda.
Is Cheerwine Pepsi or co*ke? ›
Now Available Nationwide. It wasn't until 2017, a hundred years after the company was founded, that people in all 50 states were able to enjoy a cold bottle of Cheerwine. Now, the company works with the Pepsi Bottling Company to spread its "Born in the South, Raised in a Glass" taste across the country.
Is Cheerwine discontinued? ›
Availability. Cheerwine is currently available in much of the southeastern United States, from Maryland south to Florida, but is better known in the Carolinas.
Is it Cheerwine or Cheerwine? ›
With a burgundy-red color and cheery disposition, the name "Cheerwine" simply made sense. The taste sensation known as Cheerwine was born. This cherry soda from North Carolina with a bubbly effervescence and one of a kind taste became an instant hit.
What two sodas make Dr Pepper? ›
Pepper is a combination of cola and root beer, so dr. . Pepper is invented in 1885 by . charles pemberton and morrison's old corner drugstore in . waco, texas. .
What are the 23 secret ingredients in Dr Pepper? ›
The 23 flavors are; cola, cherry, licorice, almond, vanilla, blackberry, apricot, (blackberry again), caramel, pepper, anise, sarsaparilla, ginger, molasses, lemon, plum, orange, nutmeg, cardamom, all spice, coriander, juniper, birch and prickly ash.
What is the most drank soda in the world? ›
Coca-Cola. It's no surprise that Coca-Cola, often referred to as simply “co*ke”, is the most popular soft drink in the world.
Is Cheerwine high in caffeine? ›
Cheerwine Caffeine Info: Cheerwine® and Cheerwine Zero Sugar® each have 3.94 mg/ounce of caffeine.
Why is it called Cheerwine? ›
Peeler wanted to come up with his own soft drink when a salesman from St. Louis sold him a wild cherry flavor to blend with other flavors. With a burgundy-red color and cheery disposition, the name "Cheerwine" simply made sense. The taste sensation known as Cheerwine was born.
What soda tastes like Cheerwine? ›
Cheerwine's alternatives and competitors. See how Cheerwine compares to similar products. Cheerwine's top competitors include Better Rhodes, Keurig Dr Pepper, and Bevyz.
The brand's original slogan: “For health and pleasure.”) While soda titans Coca-Cola and Pepsi launched around the turn of the 20th century, Cheerwine was created some 20 years later during World War I.
What soda is getting discontinued? ›
That means that in addition to Mango and Cherry, Fruit Punch, Green Apple, and Red Apple have been quietly discontinued. Coca-Cola could bring these flavors back — discontinued is relative in the soda world — but, for now, those flavors are no longer sold in the United States.
Why is Cheerwine so good? ›
And Cheerwine's best feature isn't the flavor profile, anyway. It's the carbonation. This is where it really separates itself: It's noticeably bubblier than most other sodas, and when I think of cracking open a can, I think not of the cherry-ish-root-y taste but of the perfect, decadent fizz. You can hear a Cheerwine.
Is Cheerwine sold at Cracker Barrel? ›
Don't find Cheerwine near you? We will gladly ship to you if Cheerwine is not available near you; to place an order, click here. Nationwide, all Cracker Barrel General Stores, Cost Plus World Market (beverage section) and The Fresh Market carry Cheerwine glass bottles.
Is Cheerwine a Southern drink? ›
Cheerwine Soft Drink – Uniquely Southern Since 1917.
What is the actual flavor of Dr Pepper? ›
Amaretto, almond, blackberry, black licorice, carrot, clove, cherry, caramel, Cola, ginger, juniper, lemon, molasses, nutmeg, orange, prune, plum, pepper, root beer, rum, raspberry, tomato, and vanilla.
Is Dr Pepper basically Cherry co*ke? ›
Although Dr Pepper has similarities to cola, the American Food and Drug Administration has ruled that Dr Pepper is not a cola, nor a root beer, nor a fruit-flavored soft drink. Rather, Dr Pepper is said to be in a category of its own kind, called "pepper soda", named for the brand.
What other drinks are made by Dr Pepper? ›
Dr Pepper Snapple Group
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|
| Products | Dr Pepper Snapple RC Cola A&W 7 Up Schweppes Sunkist Canada Dry Big Red Mott's Vernors Hawaiian Punch Nehi Squirt Other beverages |
| Revenue | 14,057,000,000 United States dollar (2022) |
| Operating income | 2,605,000,000 United States dollar (2022) |
14 more rowsHowever, Dr Pepper superfans have done their best to crack the code, and according to Mashed, the best approximation of the flavors is amaretto, almond, blackberry, black licorice, caramel, carrot, clove, cherry, cola, ginger, juniper, lemon, molasses, nutmeg, orange, prune, plum, pepper, root beer, rum, raspberry, ...
