Is Cheerwine Alcoholic?
If you saw something that had the word "wine" in it, you're going to think that it's going to be alcoholic in nature. Wine is one of the first things people think of when they think about alcohol, so to consider that wine wouldn't be alcoholic would be a pretty ridiculous idea. But could it be possible there's a type of wine or at least something that makes you think of wine when you first hear it, that's totally alcohol-free?
Before we go any further, we must first talk about Cheerwine. Although this name may sound unfamiliar to some, Eater tells us that this was actually the very first cherry soda available on the market. As the story goes, Cheerwine was born during the early 1900s, following the American Civil War, Southern Reconstruction, and the rise of the Temperance Movement. During this time, Eater explains, sugar was in low supply and heavily rationed, so folks either had to find sugar substitutes or make use of what sugar they could get. L.D. Peeler decided to experiment with a drink that was both sweet and used little sugar, leading him to invent a wild cherry-flavored soda known today as Cheerwine. Today, this cherry soda is described as North Carolina's most beloved soda, even having its own festival down in Salisbury every year.
Now that we have a bit of background on Cheerwine, you're probably wondering — is this just cherry soda mixed together with cherry wine to substitute for sugar?
Cheerwine does not contain alcohol
Although Cheerwine brings to mind a summer day of the antebellum South, sipping cherry wine and walking along under the blossoming dogwoods under clear South Carolina skies, Cheerwine isn't actually wine at all. In fact, there's absolutely no alcohol in it.
According to Cheerwine itself, the only reason for its name is that the finished product has a deep burgundy-red color, not unlike wine. The "wine" part is simply a joke relating to its color. At first glance, one would assume a glass of Cheerwine is an ordinary glass of cherry wine. The "cheer" part, per North Carolina History, is for marketing, insinuating that you'll be of "good cheer" when you have some Cheerwine. It's like how ginger ale doesn't have any "ale" in it, but it's called that because it reminds people of ginger beer.
Of course, like rum and Coke or Sprite cocktails, just because Cheerwine doesn't have any alcohol in it doesn't mean that you can't make a cocktail out of it. In fact, Cheerwine encourages cheerful drinkers to experiment with this deep red cherry soda, suggesting everything from "Cheerwine Punch" (a drink made of Cheerwine, ginger ale, and pineapple juice) to the aptly-named "Southern Cheer," a drink made of whiskey and Cheerwine that's so easy that the company itself rather bluntly demands — "go make it."
So long as you have some Cheerwine, some liquor, and some creativity, you can make something worth being cheery over.
Where can you get Cheerwine?
You're forgiven if you haven't seen a box of Cheerwine next to the Coca-Cola in the soda aisle at your local grocery store. Cheerwine is described by Southern Living as a "uniquely Southern thing," meaning that it's most common around the Southern parts of the United States, But before you go running down to North Carolina (unless you really want to, of course), there are actually a few simple ways you can get your hands on this non-alcoholic "cherry wine."
Perhaps the easiest way to get a bottle of Cheerwine is through the official Cheerwine store. With an inventory of sodas in both cans and glass bottles, syrups, and even merchandise like clothes, neon clocks, and even BBQ sauce, you can order Cheerwine to your doorstep anywhere in the country. Granted, it's a bit more expensive than just buying a can of soda straight from the grocery store, but sometimes you have to shell out some money to get your cheer on.
An unexpected place you can get a taste of Cheerwine might be your local Cracker Barrel. According to a 2016 article from Restaurant News, Cracker Barrel is the only restaurant where one can purchase the "Cackalacky Cheerwine BBQ Sauce" nationwide. Cracker Barrel even boasts that its company is the national distributor of Cheerwine soda. When Cracker Barrel says it's Southern, they mean it.