Dr Pepper

Like several of the more popular sodas I often put them off just because most people already know what they taste like and/or have an opinion about them. But they are necessary to eventually get to, especially before I go about reviewing some of their varietal releases.

Dr Pepper is one of the oldest sodas in U.S., and like several others has a history rooted in a pharmacy (see earlier posts for Moxie, and Coca-Cola for examples). In this case, it was one Charles Alderton, originally from Brooklyn, N.Y., but who studied at the University of Texas, who developed the formula while working at Morrison's Old Corner Drug Store in Waco, Texas in the 1880's. The store owner, Wade Morrison, agreed to began selling it in 1885 and it gained local popularity. Morrison was believed to be the person who coined the name Dr Pepper for the drink, though there are other stories claiming the naming as well. Similar to other upstart sodas nearby soda fountains purchased the syrup to serve at their own soda fountains. Surprisingly, Alderton, the creator of the drink, did not wish to continue developing the beverage and marketing it, preferring to work as a chemist in the drug store. Morrison and another beverage maker, named Robert Lazenby, formed a company to make the syrup and market the drink. 

Lazenby would move operations of the business to Dallas in 1923. Lazenby and his son-in-law, J.B. O'Hara, launched the drink to a wider audience at the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exhibition World's Fair in St. Louis. The same one depicted in the movie classic "Meet Me in St. Louis", and which began the wide spread popularity of ice cream on the go, via something called the ice cream cone. The brand continued to grow and entertained several slogans. The one most commonly seen on vintage advertising came as a result of research showing that sugar provided energy and that workers routinely hit "slumps" during the workday at 10:30, 2:30, and 4:30. So a slogan of "Drink a bite to eat at 10, 2, and 4" came about, later you'd find bottle caps and signage that simply showed the numbers 10, 2, 4 on it. They had many brand slogan changes, but perhaps one of the more well known in modern times is the "Be a Pepper" or "I'm a Pepper" tag. 

Dr Pepper has a very unique taste to it, one of those that's hard to describe if you've had no reference, so the recipe is every bit as top-secret at Coca-Cola's, though they don't make quite the show of it with a giant vault like Coca-Cola. Dr Pepper and Coca-Cola have had a tumultuous history. In 1951, they sued Coca-Cola over the market price. Considered a non-Cola drink, in 1969 Dr Pepper convinced Coca-Cola Bottling of New York to distribute Dr Pepper too in the New York City area. Then in 1972, Dr Pepper sued Coca-Cola for trademark infringement over a similar drink named "Peppo" forcing Coca-Cola to change the name of the drink and thus the most popular Dr Pepper knock-off was born dubbed Mr. Pibb. In the 1980's the company faced financial woes and Coca-Cola attempted to buy them, but the Federal Trade Commission nixed the deal. They then merged with the recently acquired 7 Up to form the Dr Pepper/Seven Up company. This process somehow led to Coca-Cola purchasing the non-US branding rights, and Pepsi acquired the non-US 7 Up branding rights. The concept of a "Pepper" category of sodas has played prominently in their history (see note above from 1969) because the FTC blocked a later merger in the 90's with Coca-Cola over similar grounds, to prevent a monopoly of the "pepper" soda brands. 

I've always enjoyed Dr Pepper. It has a cherry aroma to it. I've always enjoyed that it has ample carbonation, which coincidentally really allows more of the flavor to develop on your tongue. Today, you can visit the Dr Pepper Museum located in downtown Waco, in the bottling plant building built in 1906.