In this page, you will learn information and facts about the oldest soft drink in America, including the history, discography, slogans, facts, and more! Sources will be linked in the bottom of the page.
History
Dr Pepper is the oldest soft drink made in America. It was originally made in Morrison’s Old Corner Drug Store in Waco, Texas in 1885, a year before Coca-Cola was invented. Charles Alderton, who was a young pharmacist, who usually spent his time on filling prescriptions and mixing up drinks, created the beverage from blending 23 flavorings and extracts to create the first version of Dr. Pepper, which was originally called “Waco.” His reason for inventing the drink was that he enjoyed the scent of the store, filled with a scent of sweet mixed syrups that led him to come up with the idea to create a drink that tastes like the scent around him. The name “Dr Pepper” came from Wade Morrison, the owner of the drug store. The true reason for the name is unknown, but there were many speculations, which one of the most popular is the name coming from the father of the girl Morrison was in love with, Charles Pepper, a Virginia doctor involved in the Civil War as a confederate surgeon. Another theory was simply stated that “Dr” was for a marketing branding name as a medical product, and “Pepper” referring to the “pep” or the energy boost you get from consumption of the beverage. The official Dr. Pepper company was established in 1891 by Wade Morrison and Robert S. Lazenby, a beverage chemist in Texas. It was introduced to millions of visitors attending the St. Louis World’s Fair in 1904 and was successful. Dr. Pepper also contributed in World War ll when the U.S government attempted to shut down the company due to restricting recourses, which once of those recourses is sugar. A scientific study saved the company from shutting down by proving that the body’s energy levels will decrease around 10 a.m., 2 p.m., and 4 p.m., and these times were perfect for the workers involved in the war to use to boost their energy with a soft drink (this helped create the slogan “10-2-4”) and this helped prove that the soft drinks will help keep employees involved in the war to be energized, and this reason allowed the drink to continue. It is still the world’s favorite soft drink and always will have an impact on society and its consumers.
sources: drpepper.com, delish.com, keurigdrpepper.com
