new(?) Cheerwine package

[Cheer-wined]

I was in Johnson City, TN today and I saw a couple of new things. Tri-Cities Beverages is now bottling Cheerwine, in a 10-oz (glass) deli bottle. It is the same bottle that Tri-Cities uses with their TC’s brand. All-American has the 3rd tier in east TN and Cheerwine is 4th tier with Tri-Cities. A typical Tri-Cities cooler at a c-store has Dr. Enuf in 3-4 variations, Gordon’s, Charlie O’s, TC’s, regular/diet Cheerwine and sometimes I see Fuze in there as well. There are still a few Dr. Enuf vending machines around town, and a billboard off I-181. They love the stuff.
I noticed that All-American is buying longnecks from DP West Jefferson and no longer selling their own. It gives them a better variety but they lose Big Red in glass since DP WJ doesn’t make it. Ouch. A month or so ago I found Big Red vanilla floats in Mountain City but only in 20oz.
Pepsi is still very strong in NE TN. They kept Sunkist Orange but they didn’t have a grape soda on the shelves at the couple of supermarkets where I stopped. Sunkist Grape was in the Pepsi vending machines but I didn’t see it in any stores.

[ 10-04-2005, 09:18 PM: Message edited by: Cheer-wined ]

[bigrich]

All-American in Seymour and Louisville are buying Big Red Longnecks from RC/Tri-States, in Evansville.

[Cheer-wined]

Are they still bottling Big Red floats in glass bottles?

[bigrich]

I saw a whole cooler full of longnecks in Southern Indiana about two months ago. Big Red Floats were still in glass but from RC Evansville. I will try to get down that way again soon. Floats were also in 20oz and cans from All-American.

[ 10-04-2005, 11:20 PM: Message edited by: bigrich ]

[fusion]

When I was in Tri-Cities territory (Kingsport), they had WJ longnecks, plus Big Red from All-American. The plastic cap immediately stands out.

I didn't see any Cheerwine deli, though. But I didn't stop in any c-stores -- just Ingles and Super Wal-Mart.

[Cheer-wined]

I think the Cheerwine deli bottles are exclusively in 6-packs at regular grocery stores. They stick with the longnecks in most coolers I've seen.

I rode through Bristol over the weekend and I couldn't find any Big Red longnecks there either, but I only made 3-4 stops. Kingsport is a bit further away but I might venture out that way and check it out. I did find them in Mooresville today, Sundrop of Concord has started distributing them. Still made by All-American.