Dr Pepper is Now the Number 2 Most Popular in America

Dr Pepper is the favorite soda of just about every Texan. There is literally a handful of Texans who don't like Dr Pepper. I love Dr Pepper. Being a Type 1 Diabetic, I have to stick to Diet Dr Pepper or Dr Pepper Zero Sugar which taste great in their own right. I will drink Coca Cola from time to time but it's number two in my book. Pepsi is meh. A report has just come out that names the top sodas in the nation. Dr Pepper has moved up in this report.

History of Dr Pepper

Dr Pepper was created in Waco, Texas in 1885, a full year before Coca Cola. The secret mixture of 23 flavors is the oldest soda drink in the country. Brooklyn-born pharmacist Charles Alderton came up with the formula in Morrison's Old Corner Drug Store in Waco. Alderton gave the drink to store owner Wade Morrison to test on his customers. Customers loved it and would call it a "Waco" when ordering it. Store owner Morrison later gave it the name Dr Pepper.

Today, there are rumors that the secret formula is divided into two parts and stored at two different banks in the Dallas area. Another rumor says that prune juice is one of the 23 flavors. An additional rumor has said that the formula was found in a journal at an antique store in the Texas panhandle. But neither of those rumors has been proven.

Oh, there is no "." at the end of Dr in Dr Pepper. At one time there was, but it was dropped in the 1950s because of a font change in the logo that made the period hard to read.

Most Popular Soda in America

Coca Cola has been the dominant soda in America for several decades. Pepsi, believe it or not, has been the second most popular for a long time as well. A new report came out recently that says Dr Pepper is now the number two most popular soda. This ranking was tabulated using sales volume data. Coca Cola lead the report with 19.2% of the soda market followed by Dr Pepper with 8.3% (foodandwine.com).

For us in Texas, I could see those numbers easily reversed, 19.2% for Dr Pepper compared to 8.3% for Coca Cola. Us Dr Pepper fans are going to have to increase our push of Dr Pepper to the masses to get it to number one.