What's The Actual Flavor Of Dr Pepper?

Dr Pepper has done an excellent job of staying elusive, with marketing campaigns carefully only sharing that the soda has 23 flavors. What those flavors are exactly remains a mystery. There are copycat recipes for nearly every mainstream product out there, and sodas are no different. Many brands offer their own take on the classics like cola, lemon-lime, and orange, but Dr Pepper falls into its own special category. Often summarized as a spiced cola, Dr Pepper is somehow sweet, spicy, tangy, and refreshing all at once. 

Sodas often find themselves falling into one of three categories: brown, clear, or fruity. Dr Pepper famously meshes all three, starting with a familiar cola foundation and notes of black cherry, citrus, and vanilla. Professionals have noted dozens of other subtleties like blackberry, licorice, caramel, root beer, and even amaretto, but the real secret is in the delicate blend of spices that is exclusive to Dr Pepper. The drink's more recognizable flavors are transformed by what's likely a warming blend of black pepper, anise, ginger, and cardamom. 

It's surprising that no one really knows what makes Dr Pepper ... Dr Pepper, especially considering that it's one of the oldest sodas in America. The spiced soft drink got its prestigious name from its creator, small-town Texan pharmacist Charles Alderton, back in 1885. Before it was dubbed Dr Pepper, folks allegedly strolled into Morrison's Old Corner Drug Store and shouted, "Shoot me a Waco" when craving a glass of the complex soda pop. The unique blend of flavors was unlike anything else on the market, and still is today. Dr Pepper even turned out to be just as tasty when served hot, which the brand pushed in the '60s. Dr Pepper's success has only flourished over its centuries on the market.

From gaining widespread appeal at the 1904 World's Fair Exposition to surviving the Great Depression to a 1963 Texas court ruling that enabled its expansion, Dr Pepper is still one of the most popular sodas on the shelf. Despite the many hands Dr Pepper has passed through (it's now owned by the Keurig Dr Pepper conglomerate), the secret 23-flavored formula is still guarded with integrity. The original recipe is apparently safe and sound in Dallas, secured in two separate bank vaults. Only a few folks will ever know exactly what makes Dr Pepper "the most misunderstood soft drink," as the brand deemed itself in the '60s, but that doesn't stop it from being a party favorite. If all this has you hankering for a sip, you can order a 12-pack of Dr Pepper on Amazon.