Karen Kistler

karen.kistler@salisburypost.com

 

SALISBURY — Cheerwine and Goo Goo Cluster are partnering to create a new limited edition treat, which will be officially debuted with Mast General Store at the Cheerwine Festival on May 17.

Those attending the annual event can find the Cheerwine Goo Goo Cluster at the Mast General Store tent, which will be located in the Carolina Brand Section on Main Street, said Joy Ritchie Harper, vice president of marketing for Cheerwine.

The festival offers a variety of Cheerwine-inspired food and drink, she said, and “with so many Cheerwine fans coming into Salisbury to celebrate Cheerwine, we thought this would be a great place to launch the Cheerwine Goo Goo Cluster to give our Cheerwine fans the first chance to try it.”

The treats can also be preordered for shipment nationwide, it was noted in a release. It is currently available for those preorders at the googoo.com website as well as locations in Nashville, Tennessee, where Goo Goo Cluster is based and select retailers across the country during the summer. Locations where it can be found are available by visiting googoo.com and searching on the locator site.

Harper added that the Goo Goo Cluster website would continue to be updated with a list of retailers carrying the product.

“So over the next couple of months, we will be able to see this product flow into a lot more shops, convenience stores and grocery stores,” she said.

When asked how this decision came about for the treat, Harper said that “Cheerwine’s cherry flavor pairs well with a variety of food, and people for generations have often baked with Cheerwine to make a variety of sweet treats and so we knew the combination of Cheerwine and chocolate goes very well together.”

They first partnered in 2020 with Goo Goo Cluster, she said, to create a Cheerwine Premium Goo Goo, and at that time, it was available online and only at their Goo Goo shop in Nashville.

“We received great feedback, and we knew we wanted to partner on a larger scale when the time was right,” said Harper, “so we are excited to launch this limited edition Cheerwine Goo Goo Cluster at the Cheerwine Festival this year on May 17 in downtown Salisbury.”

While the treat is limited edition and is available this summer, Harper said they hope it is successful and will come back.

In a release, it said that this innovative treat maintains the Original Goo Goo Cluster recipe but adds a bold twist: both the nougat and caramel layers are infused with Cheerwine’s signature cherry flavor, creating a delectable combination of Southern traditions. Topped with freshly roasted peanuts and covered in real milk chocolate, the Cheerwine Goo Goo Cluster is a flavorful fusion paying homage to both brands’ rich histories.

“Goo Goo Cluster and Cheerwine are the perfect pair,” said Laurie Spradley, president of Goo Goo Cluster. “We enjoy any opportunity to celebrate a fellow Southern brand, and by bringing together our legacies, we’ve created something truly unique and delicious.”

Harper said that “Cheerwine enjoys partnering with other Southern brands and Goo Goo Cluster and Cheerwine have a lot of similarities. Both companies are over 100 years old, we’re both family owned and operated, and so while Goo Goo Cluster is based in Tennessee and Cheerwine is based in North Carolina, Southerns have enjoyed these brands for generations.” 

The release noted that Goo Goo Cluster and Cheerwine are both proud Southern representatives of craftsmanship and innovation. Created in Nashville in 1912, Goo Goo Cluster was America’s first combination candy bar and remains a local staple. Cheerwine, crafted in Salisbury, only five years after the Goo Goo Cluster’s invention, is renowned for its one-of-a-kind cherry flavor. The collaboration continues the legacy generations have enjoyed for years. 

“This partnership celebrates two beloved brands in a way that’s both nostalgic and exciting,” said Harper. “Cheerwine’s unique cherry flavor pairs perfectly with a variety of foods, including candy. Goo Goo Cluster shares our commitment to crafting exceptional products, and we can’t wait to introduce this to our fans.”

The Cheerwine Festival will start at 10 a.m. and continue until 7 p.m. It is a free event and “great for the whole family,” said Harper, adding that there will be lots of Cheerwine inspired food and drinks and craft items.

Other events will include a fun zone with family friendly activities, a Cheerwine history exhibit provided by the Rowan Museum, historic Salisbury tours on the trolleys around downtown and live entertainment.

“So we hope that people will join us to celebrate Salisbury as well as Cheerwine,” said Harper.

For more information on Goo Goo Cluster and its products, visit googoo.com. To learn more about Cheerwine and where products are available, check out cheerwine.com.