Cheerwine celebrating its 100th anniversary

SALISBURY, N.C. (WWAY) – Cheerwine is celebrating its 100^th birthday with a festival, limited-edition can design, and museum exhibition in Salisbury’s Rowan Museum.

The festival will take place on May 20 in Salisbury. It will feature live bands, a BBQ cook-off, and of course, plenty of free Cheerwine. The festival’s time and other details will be announced later this year.

According to a news release, Cheerwine was created in 1917 by L.D. Peeler, who was experimenting with new flavors due to WWI sugar rationings.

Peeler discovered that his “wild cherry” flavor was a hit, and distributed the resulting beverage by horse, wagon, and train.

Joy Ritchie Harper, Peeler’s great-great-granddaughter and head of marketing for Cheerwine, says that the brand is committed to staying connected to its roots.

“Since 1917, we’ve remained an independent family-owned and operated business.  As much as we’ve loved growing our fan base and distribution across the U.S., Cheerwine will always call North Carolina home,” she said in a press release.

As part of its celebrations, Cheerwine will roll out its “Centennial Can Series”, a collection of seven commemorative cans featuring designs from different eras, throughout the year.  Several lucky cans will have $100 prizes.

Finally, Salisbury’s Rowan Museum will host a special Cheerwine exhibit throughout this year, which will showcase Cheerwine memorabilia, artifacts and photos. More details are available at the museum’s website at http://www.rowanmuseum.org.