Apparently this bubbly cherry concoction is a big deal and Oinkadoodlemoo BBQ just proudly announced they will be the first in the area to serve it starting next week, both from the fountain and in 20 ounce bottles at their three locations: Randolph Plaza on Main Street in Clayton, and in the lobby of the Key Bank Tower downtown Dayton and in the brand new Miamisburg location that opens next week.
Nicknamed the “Nectar from North Carolina” it was created in 1917 in Salisbury, North Carolina by a general store owner named L.D. Peeler. This soft drink with a hint of wild cherry and a bubbly effervescence became an immediate hit. Folks from all around the county came to LD’s store to give it a try. When the patriarch passed away in 1931, L.D.’s son Clifford took over the company, and, today, Cliff Ritchie, Clifford Sr.’s grandson and the founder’s great-grandson, helms the soda company. The name actually comes from the drink’s burgundy color and the cheerfulness drinkers experience after that first sip. But have no fear, there is no wine involved, but it is said to be intensely carbonated, more so than your average soda.
In 1953, President Eisenhower was apparently so overcome with excitement at his first taste of the soda, he was reduced to the two-syllable exclamation, “Ike likes!”, proving that talking about yourself in the third-person always makes you sound like a moron, even if you’re the President.
It was only in the ’90s that Cheerwine became available outside North Carolina, and they only expanded as far as its sister state, South Carolina. Through a recent partnership with Pepsi Bottling Company, Cheerwine has plans to be available in all 50 states. This stuff is such a big deal that at the Food Lion, a Salisbury, NC-based grocery chain, you can even get Cheerwine ice creams, sherbets, and cream bars, while a local bakery also makes Cheerwine cakes and the local Krispy Kreme
