Dr Pepper facts for kids
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A can of Dr Pepper as sold in Germany
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| Type | Soft drink |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Keurig Dr Pepper (2008–present; United States and Canada) The Coca-Cola Company (United Kingdom, Japan, and South Korea) PepsiCo (the rest of Europe) |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Introduced | 1885 |
| Color | Caramel |
| Flavor | Proprietary combination of 23 flavors |
| Related products | Pibb Xtra Dr. Wells |
| Nutritional value per 12 fl oz (355 ml) | |
|---|---|
| Energy | 150 kcal (630 kJ) |
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40
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| Sugars | 40 |
| Dietary fiber | 0 |
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0
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| Saturated | 0 |
| Trans | 0 |
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Protein
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0
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| Vitamins | Quantity
%DV†
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| Vitamin A equiv. |
0%
0 μg |
| Vitamin C |
0%
0 mg |
| Minerals | Quantity
%DV†
|
| Calcium |
0%
0 mg |
| Iron |
0%
0 mg |
| Potassium |
0%
0 mg |
| Sodium |
4%
55 mg |
| Other constituents | Quantity |
| Cholesterol | 0 |
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Values for American version
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| †Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults. | |
Dr Pepper is a popular soft drink with bubbles, known as a carbonated drink. It was first made in the 1880s by an American pharmacist named Charles Alderton in Waco, Texas. The drink was first sold across the United States in 1904.
Today, Dr Pepper is made by different companies around the world. Keurig Dr Pepper makes it in the United States and Canada. The Coca-Cola Company handles it in the United Kingdom, Japan, and South Korea. In other parts of Europe, PepsiCo makes it. There are also different kinds of Dr Pepper, like Diet Dr Pepper and other flavors that came out in the 2000s.
Even though Dr Pepper might seem like a cola, the American Food and Drug Administration says it's not. It's also not a root beer or a fruit-flavored drink. Instead, Dr Pepper is in its own special group called "pepper soda." Other drinks like Pibb Xtra have a similar taste. Dr Pepper is one of the best-selling soft drinks in the United States and the United Kingdom.
Contents
The Story of Dr Pepper
The name "Dr. Pepper" was first used in 1885, which was a year before Coca-Cola came out. Dr Pepper was introduced to the whole country at a big event called the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition.
A pharmacist named Charles Alderton created the drink in Waco, Texas. He worked at Morrison's Old Corner Drug Store. To see if his new drink was good, he let the store owner, Wade Morrison, try it. Morrison liked it a lot. Soon, customers at the soda fountain started asking for "a Waco." Alderton gave his secret recipe to Morrison, who then named it Dr. Pepper. Later, the name was changed to "Dr Pepper" without the dot.
In the past, some ads for Dr Pepper claimed it had health benefits, like helping with digestion.
Just like the recipe for Coca-Cola, the Dr Pepper formula is a secret. It's said that the recipe is kept in two halves in different bank vaults in Dallas. There's a long-standing rumor that Dr Pepper contains prune juice, but the company says this is not true. They say it's a mix of natural and artificial flavors. No one knows for sure how the rumor started. Some people think it was a trick by a rival company, or maybe because some people think it tastes a bit like prune juice.
In 2009, an old book of recipes was found. It seemed to come from the same drug store where Dr Pepper was first made. One recipe was called "Dr Peppers Pepsin Bitters." Some people wondered if this was an early version of Dr Pepper. However, the company says it was just a medicine for digestion, not the drink itself.
How Dr Pepper Got Its Name
There are many ideas about where the name "Dr Pepper" came from. One idea is that adding "Dr." to product names was common back then. It made products seem healthy or special.
A popular story is that the drink was named after a real doctor, Charles T. Pepper, from Virginia. It's said that Morrison named the drink after him because Dr. Pepper gave Morrison his first job. Another story says Morrison named it after Dr. Pepper because the doctor let Morrison marry his daughter. However, there's no clear proof for these stories. Records show Morrison lived far from Dr. Pepper's town and there's no evidence he worked for him.
The dot after "Dr" was used in the Dr Pepper logo for a while, but it was removed in the 1950s. This was done to make the logo look better and easier to read.
Dr Pepper's Journey Through Time
Over the years, Dr Pepper has been involved in some interesting business events.
In 1969, Dr Pepper was officially seen as a "non-cola" drink. This helped them make a deal with the Coca-Cola Bottling Company of New York. This company then started bottling and selling Dr Pepper in the New York metropolitan area.
In 1972, Dr Pepper sued Coca-Cola because Coca-Cola had a drink called "Peppo." Dr Pepper said this name was too similar to theirs. Coca-Cola then changed their drink's name to Mr. Pibb.
In the 1980s, Dr Pepper faced some financial challenges. Later, Coca-Cola tried to buy Dr Pepper, but the government's Federal Trade Commission (FTC) stopped it. They were worried it would create too much control over the soft drink market. Around the same time, Dr Pepper and 7 Up joined together to form Dr Pepper/Seven Up, Inc.
In 1995, another company, Cadbury Schweppes, bought Dr Pepper/Seven Up. Then, in 2008, Cadbury Schweppes created a new, independent company called the Dr Pepper Snapple Group. In 2018, Keurig bought the Dr Pepper Snapple Group, and the new company was named "Keurig Dr Pepper."
Different Kinds of Dr Pepper
Dr Pepper comes in many different flavors and types.
North America
Regular Flavors
- Caffeine Free Dr. Pepper (1983): This is Dr. Pepper without the caffeine.
- Dr Pepper Red Fusion (2002): A red, cherry-flavored drink. It was the first new flavor in 122 years but was stopped in 2004.
- Dr Pepper Cherry Vanilla (2004): A mix of cherry and vanilla. It was meant to taste like old-fashioned soda fountain drinks.
- Dr Pepper Berries and Cream (2006, 2022): A berry and cream flavor. It was stopped due to low sales but came back for a short time in 2022.
- Dr Pepper Cherry (2009): This version has a stronger cherry taste.
- Dr Pepper Made with Real Sugar (2010): This uses real sugar instead of corn syrup, like the original recipe. It celebrates the drink's 125th anniversary.
- Dr Pepper Vanilla Float (2014): Tastes like vanilla ice cream. It's often sold for a limited time in the summer.
- Dr Pepper Dark Berry (2019, 2022): A berry flavor released to promote movies like Spider-Man: Far From Home and Jurassic World: Dominion.
- Dr Pepper & Cream Soda (2020): A mix of Dr Pepper and cream soda flavor.
- Dr Pepper Strawberries and Cream (2023): A strawberry cream flavor, first for Valentine's Day, now a regular flavor.
- Dr Pepper Creamy Coconut (2024): A coconut-flavored version, sold for a limited time in summer 2024.
- Dr Pepper Blackberry (2025): A new blackberry-flavored drink coming in 2025.
Diet Versions
- Diet Dr. Pepper (1962): This is the low-calorie version. It was first called "Dietary Dr. Pepper" and then "Sugar Free Dr. Pepper" before becoming Diet Dr Pepper.
- Caffeine Free Diet Dr. Pepper (1982): A diet version without caffeine.
- Diet Dr Pepper Cherry Vanilla (2004): The low-calorie version of Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper.
- Diet Dr Pepper Berries and Cream (2006): The low-calorie version of Berries and Cream.
- Diet Cherry Chocolate Dr Pepper (2007): A limited-edition diet flavor with cherry and chocolate.
- Diet Dr Pepper Cherry (2009): The low-calorie version of Dr Pepper Cherry.
Zero Sugar Versions
- Dr Pepper Zero Sugar (2021): A low-calorie version designed to taste even more like the original Dr Pepper.
- Dr Pepper Cherry Zero Sugar (2021): The low-calorie version of Dr Pepper Cherry, replacing the Diet version.
- Dr Pepper & Cream Soda Zero Sugar (2021): The low-calorie version of Dr Pepper and Cream Soda, replacing the Diet version.
- Dr Pepper Strawberries and Cream Zero Sugar (2023): A low-calorie version of Dr. Pepper Strawberries and Cream.
- Dr Pepper Creamy Coconut Zero Sugar (2024): The low-calorie version of Creamy Coconut, sold for a limited time.
- Dr Pepper Blackberry Zero Sugar (2025): A low-calorie version of Dr Pepper Blackberry.
Europe
- Dr Pepper (UK) (1982): The UK version uses sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup. Its sugar content has been reduced over time due to taxes on sugary drinks.
- Dr Pepper Zero (UK) (1986): The low-calorie version in the UK.
- Dr Pepper (Germany, Netherlands, Poland) (1980s): These versions also use artificial sweeteners and have less sugar.
- Dr Pepper Cherry (Germany, Poland) (2016): A cherry-flavored version in these countries.
- Dr Pepper Energy (Germany, Poland) (2017): An energy drink version with extra caffeine.
- Dr Pepper Zero Sugar (Germany) (2016): A zero-sugar version in Germany.
- Dr Pepper Vanilla Float (Germany, Poland) (2022): A vanilla-flavored version.
- Dr Pepper Dark Berry (Mexico) (2024): The Mexican release of Dark Berry.
- Dr Pepper Strawberries & Cream (Mexico) (2024): The Mexican release of Strawberries & Cream.
- Dr Pepper Zero Sugar Cherry Crush (UK) (2025): A cherry-flavored zero-sugar version for Valentine's Day.
Where Dr Pepper Is Sold
Keurig Dr Pepper bottles and sells its products in over 30 US states and Canada. Other companies like Coca-Cola and Pepsi usually sell their own drinks, but sometimes they distribute Dr Pepper too.
Dr Pepper is sold in many countries around the world. For example, it's available in Russia, South Korea, and Ukraine. In Australia and New Zealand, it's imported from other countries. You can also find it in Serbia and Indonesia. However, it is not sold in Thailand or North Korea.
Other Fun Dr Pepper Products
Dr Pepper flavor isn't just in soda! You can find it in other products too:
- Jelly beans made by the Jelly Belly company.
- Bubblegum by Hubba Bubba.
- BBQ sauce and marinade from Vita Food Products.
- Lip balms from Bonne Bell, part of their "Lip Smackers" line.
- Hard candies by Brach's, called Soda Poppers.
- Ice cream topping syrup called "Dr Pepper cherry dessert topping."
- Slurpees sold at 7-Eleven stores.
- Freezies with Dr Pepper flavor.
- Baked beans from The Serious Bean Company use Dr Pepper in the sauce.
Dr Pepper Ads and Slogans
Dr Pepper has had many memorable advertising campaigns over the years.
In the 1960s, Dr Pepper even suggested serving the drink hot with lemon slices in winter! Around this time, ads used the phrase "not a cola, not a root beer" to show how unique it was.
In 1977, a famous jingle (a catchy song for ads) was created: "Be a Pepper." The song said, "I'm a Pepper, he's a Pepper, She's a Pepper, we're a Pepper, Wouldn't you like to be a Pepper, too? Be a Pepper. Drink Dr Pepper." This jingle was very popular and even inspired parodies. The ads often showed big dance scenes with many people.
W.W. Clements, a former CEO of the Dr Pepper/7-Up Company, once said that Dr Pepper's taste is so special that you can't really describe it. He said, "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."
Around 2009, the slogan was "Drink it slow. Doctor's orders." Ads for this campaign featured celebrities who had a connection to the word "doctor," like Dr. Dre or actors who played doctors on TV. They would say, "Trust me. I'm a doctor," followed by the slogan.
In 2011, Dr Pepper Ten was launched with ads aimed at men. The ads used strong, masculine images and called other diet drinks "lady drinks." This campaign was seen as controversial by some.
The Dr Pepper Girl
From 1963 to 1968, a singer named Donna Loren was chosen as the "Dr Pepper Girl." She became very famous promoting the drink on radio, TV, in print ads, and at events. She even co-hosted a TV special with Dick Clark. Her role as the Dr Pepper Girl also led her to appear in several "Beach Party" movies. She was a big part of Dr Pepper's advertising for five years.
Dr Pepper was also a sponsor of the Miss Teenage America beauty pageant from 1961 to 1981.
A Free Dr Pepper Promise
In 2008, Dr Pepper made a fun promise. They said they would give "a free can of Dr Pepper to everyone in America" if the band Guns N' Roses released their long-awaited album, Chinese Democracy, that year. When the album was finally released, Dr Pepper kept its promise. However, their website had trouble handling all the requests for free coupons.
Dr Pepper Museum
You can visit the Dr Pepper Museum in Waco, Texas. It opened in 1991 in the building where Dr Pepper was first bottled, starting in 1906. The museum has three floors of exhibits, an old-fashioned soda fountain where you can get a drink, and a gift shop with Dr Pepper items.
The Dr Pepper Capital of the World
The Roanoke Valley area in Virginia sells more Dr Pepper than any other big city east of the Mississippi River. Roanoke is about 90 miles (145 km) from where Dr. Charles T. Pepper lived. The first Dr Pepper bottling plant east of the Mississippi opened in Roanoke in 1936. Because of this, Roanoke was named the "Dr Pepper Capital of the World." The city even set records for how much Dr Pepper people drank in the late 1950s.
See also
In Spanish: Dr Pepper para niños
