The name is similar to Pepsi or even Coca Cola. Almost everyone has had Dr. Pepper once in their lives (with some carrying the obsession via privately sent bottles to their homes). But Dr. Pepper transcends the flavors of normal pop or soda. W.W. Clements would comment that “I’ve always maintained you can’t tell anyone what Dr Pepper tastes like because it’s so different. It’s not an apple, it’s not an orange, it’s not a strawberry, it’s not a root beer, it’s not even a cola. It’s a different kind of drink with a unique taste all its own.”

Interesting, if Coca Cola has its “7x formula”, what is the thing that makes Dr. Pepper distinct and unique then? It’s definitely not influenced by the former brand because, contrary to popular belief, Dr. Pepper was served to the public ONE YEAR before Coca Cola was released. The creator of Dr Pepper was Charles Alderton, who personally served the drink to Wade Morrison, owner of the store that had released the prototype into the public.

Today, Dr Pepper (yes, that’s a Dr without the period) has gone with preserving the past of what soda pop was back then. It does not enjoy the celebrity status of Coca Cola or Pepsi, nor is it extensively being shipped across the world (only in select countries).

There are numerous Dr Peppers, depending on the factory that manufactured it. The most famous one for its continued use of cane sugar is the Dr Pepper of Dublin, Texas; dubbed “Dublin Dr Pepper”. Where other manufacturers had opted for the use of the more readily-available high fructose corn syrup, they still stuck with the use of original cane sugar.

Perhaps, one day, Dr Pepper will rise again in their bid for dominance in the soda industry.