“My wife and I are huge Avett Brothers fans and when they did the Cheerwine Giveback Concert [in Charlottesville, Virginia], I had never heard of Cheerwine,” says barman Todd Thrasher of Restaurant Eve in Alexandria, Virginia. “When I tasted it for the first time, I really wanted to use it in a cocktail.” His solution: Pair it with Cardinal Gin (another North Carolina-based company), preserved cherries, and—of course—a splash of tonic for an extra-fizzy G&T.
Recipe
North Carolina’s Cheerwine Gets the Cocktail Treatment
1 cocktail
A Tarheel State–inspired twist on the classic gin and tonic
photo: Margaret Houston
Ingredients
The Avetts Made Me Do It
1 ½ oz. Cardinal Gin
2 ½ oz. tonic water
½ oz. Cheerwine
preserved cherry for garnish
Preparation
Fill a highball glass with ice, pour in ingredients, and stir.
Recipe from Todd Thrasher of Restaurant Eve in Alexandria, Virginia.
Related Stories:
Drinks
Southern Sodas with a Twist
Regional favorites, from Grapico to Ale-8-One, are all grown up and ready for happy hour
Recipe
Kentucky’s Ale-8-One Gets the Cocktail Treatment
A sweet and spicy drink loaded with Bluegrass State flavor
Recipe
Alabama’s Grapico Gets the Cocktail Treatment
A sophisticated boozy spin on a classic grape soda
Trending Stories:
24
Slideshow
Books
The Best Books of 2018—So Far
We’re halfway through the year, but still just getting through our pile of great Southern reads. Make time for some—if not all two dozen—of these novels, cookbooks, and coffee table tomes before the second half of the year brings even more goodies for book lovers
Food & Drink
Endangered Species: Real Southern Cheese Straws
Why the homemade cocktail-party staple is disappearing
30
Slideshow
Food & Drink
Forgotten Southern Recipes
From pear salad and tomato pudding to vinegar pie and bacon crackers, we’re more than ready for these old-school classics to make a comeback