Party Drinks and Cocktails are an essential part of every get-together we have. From tailgating before games to picnics and grilling to nice sit-down dinners, one thing is constant – we love to share drinks. With this in mind, we started our Party Drinks & Cocktails Fridays to share some of our favorites with you. Enjoy.
Today’s Party Cocktail is made with Cheerwine, a state treasure in North Carolina.
Cheerwine has achieved cult status and a fervent following in North Carolina and throughout the South due to it’s mildly sweet, strong black cherry flavor and unusually high degree of carbonation compared to other soft drinks.
The product was named for its color and taste; the company website states that “it made sense to name a burgundy-red, bubbly, cherry concoction—Cheerwine.” Despite its name, Cheerwine is not really a wine and contains no alcohol.
Cheerwine is seen everywhere in the Carolinas and Virginia but is currently available, if somewhat hard to find, in most of the United States. If you don’t see Cheerwine in your area supermarkets, find it in “specialty soda” stores and Cracker Barrel Old Country Store restaurants. Or order it online from Amazon. It’s worth the effort.
A Tiny Sip of the Long History of Cheerwine
The drink that would become Cheerwine actually got it’s start in the early 1900s in Maysville, KY as Mint Cola. Due to sugar shortages during World War 1 the Maysville Syrup Company, along with most other soft drink companies, went bankrupt. Lewis D. Peeler bought the Maysville company and moved to Salisbury, North Carolina where it still resides today.
In 1917 a flavor salesman from St. Louis sold Peeler a unique wild cherry flavor. He blended this flavor, along with 11 others into the Mint Cola base, to create Cheerwine.
Big Bay Storm Cheerwine Cocktail Recipe
At Crook’s Corner in Chapel Hill, NC, they use the cherry flavored Cheerwine in cocktails, including this winner.
Prep Time10 mins
Total Time10 mins
Materials
- 1 1/4 ounces Gosling’s Black Rum
- 3/4 ounce Campari
- 3/4 ounce freshly squeezed Lemon Juice
- 3/4 ounce Pineapple Juice
- Ice Cubes
- 1 or more ounces Cheerwine Soda See Note #1 below
- Orange Wheel to garnish
Instructions
- Combine rum, Campari, lemon juice and pineapple juice in a cocktail shaker.
- Add ice and shake vigorously.
- Strain into an ice-filled Collins glass.
- Top with the Cheerwine. Stir gently to combine.
- Garnish with the orange wheel.
Note #1 – The original recipe calls for 1 ounce of Cheerwine. Although the drink is perfectly good with 1 ounce, I have found that I prefer it with about 6 – 8 ounces (See the picture above). It turns the cocktail into a delicious, refreshing “porch drink” – something to enjoy on a hot Southern Summer afternoon relaxing on the porch. Try it both ways!
Note #2 – If you love this cocktail/porch drink as much as I do, you will probably want to share it with your friends. To make your life easier, do what busy high-end cocktail bars do – make a “cheater bottle.”
It is very easy. Just all of the ingredients, except the Cheerwine, before the party. To do this multiply the measurements above for the rum, Campari, lemon juice and pineapple juice by how many drinks you wish to serve (make sure you have enough bottles of Cheerwine!) and combine in a large pitcher.
Example – To make 4 drinks combine 5 ounces rum with 3 ounces each of Campari, lemon juice and pineapple juice.
Place the pitcher in the refrigerator to chill. Do not add ice.
During the party, measure out 2 ounces of the rum mixture into a ice-filled Collins glass. Top with desired amount of Cheerwine. Stir gently to combine.
Click HERE to Learn More about How to Make Your Party Bartending Easier, Quicker and More Enjoyable with Cheater Bottles – Coming Soon.
The American Cocktail
France has wine, Germany’s got beer, but America is the land of the cocktail.
And cocktail culture is flourishing with bartenders across America combining local, artisanal, and homemade ingredients to create drinks with complex layers of flavor.
From the editors of Imbibe Magazine comes this unique book filled with 50 favorites from some of the best bartenders coast to coast offering modern twists on classic drinks, plus all-new creations, complete with a look into each recipe’s inception and unique ingredients.
Whether it’s a marionberry bramble from Jeffrey Morgenthaler in Portland, Oregon, or a strawberry julep from Jenni Pittman in Louisville, Kentucky, or an apple-based cocktail from Jim Meehan in New York City, the cocktails that define the American landscape are deliciously diverse.
Consider this book your personal cross-country tour of America s most intriguing regional cocktail flavors, traditions and stories.
Click HERE NOW to Get The American Cocktail
Recipe is adapted from The American Cocktail. Big Bay Storm Cocktail created by Shannon Healy of Crook’s Corner in Chapel Hill, NC. Additional Information Courtesy of Cheerwine.com, and is used under the fair-use doctrine, and Wikipedia, and is used by permission.
