Dr Pepper

In 1885 a young pharmacist called Charles Alderton was working and serving carbonated soft drinks at Morrison's Old Corner Drug Store, in Waco, Texas. A Dr. Charles Pepper owned the shop and the young pharmacist was engaged to his daughter. Having noted that customers soon tired of drinking the same old fruit flavors, the inventive Alderton decided to make something new by blending several fruit extracts. After numerous experiments, he finally created one he liked, which he named Dr. Pepper after his employer and prospective father-in-law. The first serving of the new soft drink was on December 1, 1885.

Dr Pepper ad from 1913.

The correct name is “Dr Pepper,” not “Dr. Pepper.” The company dropped the period (full stop) from the name to avoid any suggestion of a medical link. in the 1950s.

The secret recipe for Dr Pepper's soda is protected as a highly valuable trade secret. It is reported that only three people have access to the formula, which is kept in a locked vault at company headquarters.

Paul McCartney originally wanted to title The Beatles'  Sgt. Pepper’s album “Dr. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”, completely unaware of the soft drink. Later, John Lennon fell in love with the drink so much that he would often request crates of it to be shipped to him from America.

Dr. Pepper served hot with lemon was a popular 1960’s holiday beverage.

The Dr Pepper Museum, is located in the Artesian Manufacturing and Bottling Company building at 300 South Fifth Street in downtown Waco, Texas, The museum includes exhibits devoted to the creation of the beverage and iconic advertising campaigns like 1977’s “Be a Pepper." The building was the first to be built specifically to bottle Dr Pepper. It was completed in 1906, and Dr Pepper was bottled there until the 1960s.