Cheerwine
intro
A bright, fizzy, sweet-tart homemade take on iconic North Carolina Cheerwine, a classic cherry soda best served ice-cold for warm-weather sipping.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep cherry syrup base
Add 340 grams pitted sweet black cherries, 200 grams granulated white sugar, and 240 ml filtered water to a 2-quart medium saucepan. Stir gently with a wooden spoon to partially dissolve the sugar before turning on the heat.
Simmer cherry mixture
Turn the stovetop to medium heat (setting 5 out of 10) and bring the cherry mixture to a gentle simmer, stirring once every 2 minutes. When small bubbles form around the pan edges, reduce heat to medium-low (setting 3 out of 10) and cook for 8 minutes total. Gently mash the softening cherries against the pan side with your spoon at the 4-minute mark to release more juice.
Strain and flavor syrup
Remove the pan from heat and set a fine-mesh sieve over a 1-quart heatproof glass jar. Pour the hot cherry mixture through the sieve, pressing firmly on the leftover cherry solids with a silicone spatula to extract all flavorful liquid; discard the pressed cherry pulp. Stir 30 ml fresh lemon juice and 2.5 ml (½ teaspoon) pure almond extract into the warm strained syrup until fully mixed.
Chill syrup completely
Loosely cap the glass jar of syrup and place it on a middle shelf in the refrigerator for 2 full hours, until the syrup reaches 4°C (40°F) or colder. Warm syrup will cause sparkling water to lose carbonation instantly, so do not skip this chilling step.
Build individual servings
Set out four 355 ml (12-oz) tall highball glasses, and fill each with 120 grams (½ cup) of ice cubes. Pour 60 ml (¼ cup) of fully chilled cherry syrup into the bottom of each glass, then slowly pour 240 ml (1 cup) of ice-cold sparkling water down the inner side of each glass at a 45-degree angle to preserve maximum fizz.
Stir lightly and serve
Give each glass one slow, gentle stir with a long bar spoon to lightly mix the syrup and sparkling water—do not over-stir, as this will knock out carbonation. Serve immediately, garnished with a fresh cherry on the rim if desired.
Tips
2.Always add sparkling water immediately before serving, and pour it slowly down the angled side of the glass to preserve carbonation and keep the drink fizzy longer.
3.For an adult party variation, add 30 ml (1 fl oz) of bourbon to each glass before topping with sparkling water for a fruity, Southern-style cocktail twist.
OMG y’all, this is such a game changer! I grew up drinking Cheerwine at my grandma’s house in North Carolina and never thought I could make it at home that tastes just like the real thing. It was so easy, too — I threw the syrup together while I was prepping burgers for our backyard cookout last weekend, stuck it in the fridge to chill, and everyone was raving. Even my picky teen asked for seconds! Only thing I added was a tiny squeeze of fresh lime over ice, chef’s kiss.
Total win for our last potluck! I was worried it would be too sweet since store bought Cheerwine is pretty sugary, but the homemade version balances the cherry and sugar way better. Super easy to whip up, no fancy equipment needed at all. 10/10, will be making this all summer long for pool days.
My kids loved it!!! I’ve been trying to cut back on store bought sodas with all the weird additives, and this was the perfect swap. They thought it was such a fun treat to help me stir the syrup and add the sparkling water at the end. We even made popsicles out of the leftover syrup mixed with a little lemonade, total hit.
Wait, hold on — is this supposed to be as bubbly as the canned stuff? I made it yesterday and added the sparkling water right before serving, but it went flat super fast. Did I do something wrong? Flavor was on point though, just missing that fizz I love.
SO good. I made this to go with our pulled pork sandwiches for family dinner last night and everyone thought I picked up a specialty soda from the fancy burger joint downtown. The 2 hour chill time is no joke, don’t skip it! I tried a sip right after making the syrup and it was way too warm and bland, but after chilling it was perfect.
Nice, easy recipe for a hot day! I brought a jug of the chilled syrup and a bottle of sparkling water up on our day hike last weekend, mixed up cups at the summit, and it was so refreshing. Way better than packing heavy cans. Will be adding this to our regular trail snack rotation.
I grew up in Alabama and have been craving Cheerwine since I moved up north — you literally can’t find it in most bodegas here! This recipe is spot on, tastes exactly like I remember from high school football game concession stands. Only note: I didn’t have any cherry extract, so I used a little extra maraschino cherry juice and it worked great.
Took this to our neighborhood block party and people were literally coming back for thirds. I set up a little soda bar with different garnishes: fresh cherries, orange slices, mint sprigs, even a little vanilla cream option for people who wanted to make it a float. It was such a hit I already had three neighbors ask for the recipe! Wait, how long does the syrup keep in the fridge, anyway?
Was looking for a fun non-alcoholic option to serve at our game night and this did not disappoint. It’s sweet but not cloying, has that perfect classic cherry fizz taste, and it was so quick to put together after work. Even my friend who swears he hates cherry soda had two glasses. Wild.
Made this for my son’s soccer team snack after their Saturday game and it was a huge hit! Way better than the neon colored sports drinks they usually get, and the parents loved it too. I did add a tiny pinch of salt to the syrup like I do with all my sweet drinks, it makes the cherry flavor pop so much more.
Okay, I was skeptical because I’m a diehard canned Cheerwine fan, but this homemade version is actually better? The vanilla note comes through way more than the store bought stuff, and I can control how much fizz I want (I like mine extra bubbly, so I go heavy on the sparkling water). 10/10, no notes.
Super easy recipe, came together in like 20 minutes exactly like the recipe said, which is a win for weeknights when I don’t have a ton of time. My only mistake was using room temperature sparkling water, so it wasn’t as crisp as I wanted it to be. Next time I’ll make sure everything is ice cold before mixing!
Made this for our Pacific Coast Highway road trip last week, kept the syrup in a cooler and mixed it with cold sparkling water at our picnic stops. It was the perfect sweet treat to sip while we watched the sunset over the ocean. Way better than stopping for fast food sodas every time we got thirsty. Will be making this for all our future trips!