You're not seeing things: That Ale-8-One really is red.

It's here, Ale-8-One fans: the first new flavor of the local favorite soft drink.

Bottles of Cherry Ale-8-One were rolling off the line on Tuesday, and will be shipped to grocery stores in Lexington, Frankfort, Richmond, Winchester, Bowling Green, Owensboro and Elizabethtown ... eventually. Single bottles will be in stores Thursday and six-packs as early as Friday.

Why cherry? Well, it isn't exactly a new idea. McGeeney said the company knows that loyal fans like to add a squirt of cherry syrup to their Ale-8-One, because they post it on social media.

Still, the company played around with several ideas for two years before it came up with a formula that really worked, she said.

The version coming to the shelves now isn't as gingery as regular Ale-8 but still maintains a lack of sweetness that fans like.

How does it taste? Sweet but not too sweet. Cherry but not too cherry. One taster described it as like liquid cherry Tums, but he isn't from around here.

The Cherry version also is available in fountains at convenience stores, if you can find it. Here's where to look: cherry.ale8one.com/.

It's been selling out at locations already but more will be coming, according to Fielding Rogers, the great-great-nephew of company founder G.L. Wainscott. Rogers still hand blends every batch of Ale-8 and now Cherry Ale-8.

Are more flavors coming? McGeeney didn't rule it out, but she said they won't release one unless they feel it's really "Wainscott worthy."

This story was originally published April 24, 2018 at 4:12 PM with the headline "You're not seeing things: That Ale-8-One really is red.."