The Mysterious 23 Flavors of Dr. Pepper
I bought a Dr. Pepper from the vending machine at work today and noticed that the retro-styled can (pictured to the left, courtesy Wikipedia) has a seal claiming an “authentic blend of 23 flavors.” Indeed, go to DrPepper.com, find the FAQ section, and you’ll be informed that “Dr. Pepper is a unique blend of 23 flavors. The formula for Dr. Pepper is proprietary information.” (Dr. Pepper also has a web-based promotion called “Get23″ centered around the 23 secret flavors. The promotion has to do with finding “flavor icons,” but it won’t reveal what the flavors are. Because they are “you know” a secret.) Apparently, this claim has been a part of Dr. Pepper lore for a long time — something like the Colonel’s Eleven Herbs and Spices, but I was ignorant of it.
So what are the 23 flavors? I’m guessing one is not “cherry-flavored cough syrup,” though “cherry” seems a safe bet. (Vanilla, or some version of vanilla, seems a given, too.) According to Snopes, the company has repeatedly denied the persistant rumor that prune juice is one of the component flavors. Any guesses?
UPDATE: According to AdAge, “Cadbury Schwepps (the owner of the Dr. Pepper brand) spent $5 million on a “mash-up” marketing campaign based on the 23 flavors concept before killing the ads earlier this year.” Click through the link to see the commercials that never aired.
I’ll tell you that the can shown there has one flavor that should never be in Dr Pepper: high fructose corn syrup. I’ve been ordering my DP for years from dublindrpepper.com where they use the original formula with cane sugar. I have recently upgraded to the glass bottle rather than cans. Worth every penny. We’ve done blind taste tests with dozens of people and everyone but one person had a strong preference for the real sugar version. The one remaining person couldn’t tell the difference. Some people find themselves unable to tolerate HFCS DP immediately after drinking the good stuff. Anybody that likes Dr Pepper owes it to themselves to get the real thing.
I tend to bring either that or Guarana (also made with actual sugar) to bloggersnackers, so keep your eyes open.
Comment by a random John — June 21, 2006 @ 11:21 pm
Note that the title of this article mentions 32 rather than 23 flavors. Feel free to delete this after fixin’.
Comment by a random John — June 21, 2006 @ 11:23 pm
Oops. Good catch on the thread title. Baskin Robbins must have me brainwashed.
Comment by BTD Greg — June 21, 2006 @ 11:25 pm
arJ, It seems that the best thing a Dr. Pepper lover could do is avoid the better, harder to come by Dr. Pepper lest they become averse to the run-of-the-mill stuff. I’m a DP lover and while I’m curious to taste DP that’s even more delicious, I’m not going to seek out the cane sugar stuff until I can afford to get the good stuff whenever I want it. Ignorance is bliss.
GuaranàAntartica rules.
As for DP’s 23 flavors, I have no idea beyond cherry and vanilla. I can’t say that the fact that there are 23 flavors strikes me as a strong selling point. When I was a kid I’d experiment with multi-flavor soda by putting a little bit of each fountain soda in a 32 oz. mug. We called it a “suicide” and it was gross. Usually grape Olé was the dominant flavor for some reason.
I wonder how many of the 23 flavors would sound unappetizing and how many only have chemical names. Monosodium glutamate?
Comment by Tom — June 22, 2006 @ 5:21 am
I hope there’s no MSG in Dr. Pepper.
Comment by BTD Greg — June 22, 2006 @ 6:23 am
I don’t think there’s any vanilla, or very little. It’s Cherry Coke, pretty simply.
Comment by D. Fletcher — June 22, 2006 @ 10:07 am
In addition to cherry and vanilla…
Cola. Raspberry. Prune (no matter what they say).
And I would bet some or all of the following spices — nutmeg, cardomom, mace, fennel, clove. I don’t know which, but there’s a spicy layer that could be one of those.
Probably lemon and blackberry.
That’s all I got.
Comment by William Morris — June 22, 2006 @ 10:09 am
hmmm, is that a hint of rosemary I detect?
Comment by Supergenius — June 22, 2006 @ 10:12 am
For the record I taste prune too, and I don’t see why that’s necessarily a bad thing. I think maybe the statements that the company has made can been parsed to show that DP doesn’t have prune juice, which has unfortunate connotations as the laxative of choice for old folks.
Comment by BTD Greg — June 22, 2006 @ 10:12 am
D., it’s not *just* Cherry Coke. It’s got some sort of bitter bite to it (hence the cough syrup similarities). Kind of molasses-y. Or, yeah, pruny.
Comment by Allison — June 22, 2006 @ 10:51 am
I always thought that too, but my own family actually did a blind taste test with Dr. Pepper and Hires-prepared Cherry Coke — they’re very similar. Perhaps it’s the fructose sweetener?
Dr. Pepper may have some extra spice in it, but it’s essentially Cherry Coke.
Comment by D. Fletcher — June 22, 2006 @ 10:57 am
Hmm. Dr. Pepper doesn’t taste like Cherry Coke to me.
Comment by BTD Greg — June 22, 2006 @ 11:26 am
I gotta tell ya, I ordered a (small) case of the Dublin Dr. Pepper. It was good, but I wouldn’t say it was worth the cost of shipping (about as much as the soda). It was a fun experiment though.
Comment by Rusty — June 22, 2006 @ 12:21 pm
One of these days, I’m going to drive down to Dublin. You can get Dublin Dr. Pepper at specialty grocery stores here, but you’ll pay a premium.
Comment by BTD Greg — June 22, 2006 @ 12:56 pm
Kulturblog road trip! I think the Dublin pilgrimage should be followed by a side trip to Brenham, home of Bluebell ice cream.
Comment by Allison — June 22, 2006 @ 1:06 pm
I’m sure there is some recipe for Dr. Pepper that calls for some odd spices — Coke itself has a “secret formula” that apparently only 2 people in the world know, and they don’t fly on the same plane.
I still say, though, that Dr. Pepper is merely a cola with cherry.
The most interesting thing about Dr. Pepper is the name, though now that I think about it, it uses “pep” the same way Pepsi uses it.
Comment by D. Fletcher — June 22, 2006 @ 2:14 pm
You know, I love DP and I love cherry Coke- and they are different animals completely. I second the cardamom and clove undertones for DP.
Comment by tracy m — June 22, 2006 @ 2:16 pm
D,
I have always thought that my mother is insane for loving Cherry Coke and hating Dr Pepper. They are similar enough that such things shouldn’t happen.
Rusy,
I figure that the cans cost about 2x what I pay for cans at the supermarket and the bottles cost about 3x what local cans cost. I would rather drink less of the better stuff than more of the good stuff.
I do drink the local when I run out, and I drink it out of the fountain for road trips. I must say that Dr Pepper is widly inconsistent as a fountain drink. I often wonder if they really have a bag/canister of Dr Pepper syrup back there or if they mixed leftover rootbeer with half empty cherry coke.
I should also note that while in Boston I would search high and low for Passover Coke and buy 10 to 15 two liters of it, which would last into the summer. The funny think is that I can’t stand regular HFCS Coke but I rather like the original.
Comment by a random John — June 23, 2006 @ 11:22 am
ugh!
That should read:
I would rather drink less of the better stuff than more of the merely good stuff.
In actuality I probably just drink more of the better stuff and spend more money on it. Oh well.
Comment by a random John — June 23, 2006 @ 11:44 am
I live in Stephenville (TX), it’s a 20 minute drive from my house to the Dublin bottling plant. We even have Dublin DP on tap out the gas station my parents own, but I can’t stand the stuff. It is too sweet for me and too expensive! You can get a 12 pack of regular DP for $3.00 or a 6-pack of Dublin for $2.50. I’ll stick with the corn-syrup… so I can afford my addiction.
Comment by jessie — June 25, 2006 @ 12:31 pm
Flavoring in Dr Pepper?
IMO the predominant flavor is actually almond, not cherry.
Reason: Oil of bitter almond, as found in almond extract, has been the non-secret flavor additive of maraschino cherries for many years. (Real cherries simply don’t have enough flavor of their own, so they need a little help when packaged and processed for human consumption.) It’s likely that we have collectively come to associate the genuinely almond taste of so-called “cherry flavoring” with the real thing.
And, BTW, the Dr Pepper company has long denied cherry as an ingredient in its brew.
Also, a little-known rumor of burnt rum being an ingredient in DP has persisted in recent years.
Comment by Dr Glenn — June 28, 2006 @ 6:22 am
Dr Glenn, I definitely thing the predominant flavor in Diet Cherry Coke is almond. I don’t taste it as much in Dr. Pepper, though (I admit it’s always Diet Dr. Pepper I drink, when there is no Diet Coke to be found, so that might be skewing my perception). There’s probably some almond flavoring in there, but something else is giving it more of a bitter medicinal flavor too. Burnt rum flavoring I could maybe believe.
Comment by Allison — June 28, 2006 @ 7:07 am
Hi, Allison.
My wife agrees with you about the mediciny taste of Dr Pepper, and this is why she doesn’t like it at all, to the point of being nauseated by it! (She says it tastes like Black Draught syrup to her.)
Some old-timers like myself remember Syrup of Black Draught laxative which tastes wicked and is, according to the label, flavored with such things as “rhubarb fluidextract, oil of star anise, and oil of ginger” IIRC. (My wife would have added “eye of newt.”) Whether these are some of the “23 flavors” I don’t know, but I just mention it as an aside. This may account for the mediciny taste, or it may not.
The burnt-rum suggestion maybe comes from the recipe for the somewhat dangerous alcoholic soft drink “Flaming Dr Pepper” which is made with Bacardi 151 with a shot of Amaretto, which is of course almond flavored. A shot glass full of 151, with a bit of Amaretto, is lit and dropped into a mug of beer. The concoction is then chugged, flames and all, and the resulting drink is said to taste identical to Dr Pepper, but with an alcoholic kick. (Notice: I DON’T RECOMMEND THIS BEVERAGE!!!)
Anyway, who knows? Maybe one of these days, Dr Pepper will finally decide to share the flavoring with the rest of us, but I doubt it. After all, if it contains “rhubarb fluidextract” I could well understand why the company wouldn’t want the world to know!
–”Dr Glenn”
(No, I’m not a real doctor, nor do I play one on TV!)
Comment by Dr Glenn — June 28, 2006 @ 9:39 am
Several years ago in an anniversary celebration DP had collector cans showing past advertisements. One of them spoke of DP being liquid sunshine because of all the fruit flavors that it contained. Among the flavors listed in the add were blackberry, apricot, prunes/plums, oranges and others. I don’t think that the add was comprehensive, but there were several more listed – I just can’t remember them.
Comment by Terry — June 29, 2006 @ 10:49 am
As far as what ingredients are among those magical 23, an all-natural Dr Pepper substitute i sometimes drink includes star anise, which i think is a reasonable possibility.
I began drinking Dr Pepper in the mid-1960s as a teenager. It was only availible in Texas at the time. The father of a friend was an airline pilot and he’d bring back cases to us in Illinois.
The real sugar stuff is truly better than the high fructose corn sweetener stuff. Some friends have family near Dublin TX and they bring back a case or two when they visit. I only get a can or two, and i treasure them.
I remember stuff from the old labels
10 – 2 – and 4
Good hot or cold
(has anyone actually ever drunk Dr Pepper *hot*?)
Comment by Lilinah — June 29, 2006 @ 7:18 pm
I don’t understand how anyone thinks that Dr. Pepper is cola with cherry. For years the only kind of pop that I would drink was cherry pepsi and trust me, there is a HUGE difference. The two taste nothing alike. I agree with the idea that there are spices in the soda hence the name but one thing does bother me, if there are cherry or vanilla flavors than why is there cherry vanilla Dr. Pepper. If those two flavors were already in the pop than why would they name it that?
Comment by Dr. Pepper Fan — June 30, 2006 @ 1:06 pm
About Cherry Vanilla DP, my own little guess is that synthetic cherry flavors is used in the flavoring in addition to the “23 whatevers” that are supposed to be there. Also maybe real vanilla extract. (?)
There’s only one flavoring that’s been more or less confirmed to be in Dr Pepper: that of vanillin, or imitation vanilla. This is found in the book “Big Secrets” by William Poundstone. Mr. Poundstone doesn’t dig much deeper, but he does cite an industry source for that bit of information.
It’s also obvious from the label that artificial flavors predominate over natural flavors because of the order: “Artificial and Natural Flavors.”
Hmmm….interesting. So if vanillin is the only artificial flavor, then that means it’s number 1 of the 23, maybe?
Okay, so what are the remaining 22?
–Dr Glenn
(I’m not a doctor nor do I play one on TV.)
Comment by Dr Glenn — June 30, 2006 @ 2:26 pm
Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper is nasty, nasty stuff. Whatever the 23 flavors are, they work together well. The icky immitation cherry and vanilla on top if it don’t. Berry Cream Dr. Pepper is slightly better, but still not right.
Comment by BTD Greg — June 30, 2006 @ 3:32 pm
So where are all the Get 23 Icons on their website, I was bored and found all but the first one.
Comment by Mikel — June 30, 2006 @ 8:40 pm
Back to 23 flavors question:
#1 is vanillin, from the source already cited (William Poundstone’s “Big Secrets.)
Here’s why I still vote for essential oil from bitter almond as being another ingredient:
1. The cherry-like taste. Imitation cherry flavoring has been made from oil of bitter almond for many moons. Here’s the evidence from the US FDA, with regard to “maraschino cherries”:
http://www.fda.gov/ora/compliance_ref/cpg/cpgfod/cpg550-550.html
2. Almond belongs to genus Prunus, which also covers over 30 other trees and plants, many of which bear edible fruits. Here is a listing of the different species from that genus, many of which we will immediately recognize:
http://www.desert-tropicals.com/Plants/Rosaceae/Prunus.html
This would cover most or all of the theoretical “23 fruit flavors” quite nicely, I think.
3. “Prune Juice” is that old persistent rumor, but is a really a hint disguised as a rumor. Since prunes are from plums and plums are in genus Prunus (and so is almond) then “prune juice” may also mean a “liquid derived from a plant of genus Prunus.” In other words, oil of bitter almond!
Other facts:
Since we’ve come to mistake almond flavor with cherries, it’s also likely that we’ve come to associate a “mediciny” taste with an essential oil from a spice used to flavor medicines with the taste of medicine itself. Likely sources: anise, ginger, etc. (Read about anise here:
http://www.kalyx.com/store/proddetail.cfm/ItemID/24218.0/CategoryID/12500.0/SubCatID/30.0/file.htm)
Burnt rum? Not likely, say I! Reason: How could this old drink have been prepared during the Prohibition era of the 1920s to early 1930s? But I affirm that it’s still possible that the rum could have been prepared (burnt) in another country, and then shipped to the US–assuming this was even legal. I also think it’s coincidental that “Flaming Dr Pepper” might bear a resemblance in taste to the original drink, not because there is any direct connection. But, if there is a resemblance, it’s due to the almond flavor of the amaretto.
If oil of almond, or anything from almond, is actually used in the Dr Pepper formula, there is one big problem. Sadly, some people have a very dangerous allergy to almonds, even in the form of extract. So if there is actually any oil of bitter almond, or anything of the sort in the drink, then the company should come off its “proprietary information” and “23 flavors” BS and provide a warning.
So there!
Cheerfully yours,
–”Dr Glenn”
(I’d rather be a plumber than a doctor anyway.)
Comment by Dr Glenn — July 1, 2006 @ 6:58 am
To say DP tastes like cherry coke is crazy. Mr Pibb yes but cherry coke?..not just no, but he__ no!
Comment by Mattress — July 10, 2006 @ 5:20 pm
My husband once opened the pit from an Apricot and ate the little seed inside. He said it tasted just like Dr Pepper. ???
And recently, we bought a bad batch of DP and quite drinking it for a while. Someone even told us that they had changed the flavor, not just the label. However, I emailed DP and they said they have not changed the formulation, it was just a bad batch. They send the concentrated syrup out to the independent bottlers who mix it and put it in cans and bottles. Maybe the bottler messed up.
Anyway, while we were off DP for awhile, I was getting my daily fix from Cherry Coke instead. I never really associated the two, but I think there is something about Cherry Coke that is similar to DP.
Paco
Comment by Paco — July 11, 2006 @ 4:49 pm
There was a Travial Pursuit question that mentioned this dilemma a bit of time ago
mentioned the flavors from many juices, including quite a bit of vegetable juice flavors that I found a bit surprising
I can’t remember too much, but I do recall tomato and carrot
Comment by Rorison Meadows — July 15, 2006 @ 8:17 pm
Hmmmm – here’s my theory:
Dr. Pepper equals root beer, black cherry and anise
Check out this info on rootbeer and see if the ingredients listed here couldn’t make up at LEAST half of the ‘Mysterious 23′!
“Root beer has its origins in what is referred to as “small beers.” Small beers are a collection of local beverages (some alcoholic, some not) made during colonial times in America from a variety of herbs, barks, and roots that included: birch beer, sarsparilla beer, ginger beer and root beer. Ingredients in early root beers included allspice, birch bark, coriander, juniper, ginger, wintergreen, hops, burdock root, dandelion root, spikenard, pipsissewa, guaiacum chips, sarsaparilla, spicewood, wild cherry bark, yellow dock, prickly ash bark, sassafras root*, vanilla beans, hops, dog grass, molasses and licorice.”
Comment by socalsan — July 16, 2006 @ 1:47 pm
Man, I thought you guys were crazy, saying the taste had changed. However, the can I’m drinking now is definitely different. It’s much sweeter and doesn’t have the subtle flavors that it normally does. I could easily mistake it for cherry vanilla coke.
Although this is in fact a new can, I had been drinking DP from the new cans all last week and they tasted fine. So it must be inconsistencies in bottling or something.
@socalsan: Yeah, I’ve always thought I tasted root beer in there. Now that you mention it, I bet that one ingredient could make up a significant chunk of the “23 flavors”.
Comment by Clay — July 17, 2006 @ 8:38 am
My husbands family is from Dublin TX. my mother in law visits there and brings us back the pure can sugar glass bottled DP. it’s FANTASTIC….but it certainly does make you less enthused about the stuff we get here in Michigan. i recommend that any true DP fan give it a try!
Comment by kris — July 26, 2006 @ 10:14 am
yeah well this “delemia”
is all funny
but
i was at McDonalds with a couple friends
playing with the foutian drinks
i added lemon iced tea,orange juice,lemon lime,coke,and a few others i forget and the result was a perfect blend to create dr.pepper
it was exact
i bought a dr.pepper across the street and had people try it and the new “mixture”and they all said that they were both dr.pepper
anywho,
the comment about root beer making up a good sum of the flavors is a very good thought
Comment by ngr fo sho — July 28, 2006 @ 1:51 am
Interesting enough, I heard a rumor years ago that the flavoring of Dr. Pepper is derived from the pit of a peach. I cracked open a peach pit and discovered a kernel inside shaped not unlike an almond, and having a flavor similar to that of Dr. Pepper!
Comment by Randy — July 30, 2006 @ 9:16 am
Randy – fond of cyanide, are you?
Comment by BTD Greg — July 30, 2006 @ 4:36 pm
Is almond classified as a nut? If so, you’d think they would have one of those all important “may contain peanuts or traces of tree nuts,” warning right on the DP label, right?
Comment by andy — July 31, 2006 @ 2:18 pm
Dr Pepper sucks…Cherry Coke will rule the world, as it wil be drank by the pack of wild dogs that will eventually overrun all civillization as we know it…
Comment by Brad and Eric — August 11, 2006 @ 6:54 am
out of 23 flavors, one of them has to be chicken.
Comment by irv — August 11, 2006 @ 10:01 pm
Im suprised no one has mentioned the obvious spice which is most likely added as a flavor. PEPPER! Vanillin, Pepper, Cherry extract..etc..????
Comment by Rick — August 12, 2006 @ 4:13 pm
There’s definitely a hint of plum in there…i taste amaretto too…hmm that could be the chinese food.
Comment by RANET — August 16, 2006 @ 5:07 pm
Mt Dew is what everyone needs to be drinking…Dr Pepper isnt all that good..and i find it hard to believe that there are 23 flavors in it…yea right… until i see a list of them all its just a mix of crap to make Dr Pepper…thanks
Comment by Mat — August 19, 2006 @ 11:01 am
Um…and Mt. Dew is what, exactly? Sort of weekly, but highly sweetened, citrus-y stuff? No thanks, I’ll pass.
Comment by BTD Greg — August 20, 2006 @ 12:40 am
Okay I did that Get23 game on their website too and I found all but clue #19 “There’s nothing diet about where I”m hiding.” And I’ve looked for weeks and can’t find it….anyone know where it is?? This is making me crazy!
Thanks in advance.
Comment by Ruthie — August 20, 2006 @ 5:12 pm
I have tried DP hot, it brings out a different flavor all together. But I would never do it again, unless I need a laxative!
Comment by Joni — August 23, 2006 @ 7:12 am
In response to the questiong about the #19 clue on the DP Get23 game, go to the product link and click on the Diet DP. Once your there the icon you’re looking for is the dot on the “i” of Diet Dr. Pepper on the bottle itself. Hope this helps.
Mari
Comment by marietta — August 25, 2006 @ 10:32 am
I think that since there probably was no prune flavored soda when the inventor was mixing drinks to create DrPepper, I belive the company when they claim to have no prune flavor in DrPepper. Also, soda sweetened with real cane sugar tastes better than soda sweetened with corn syrup – that’s why so many people like Coke made in Mexico rather than Coke made in America. Soda bottled in glass also tastes better than soda bottled in plastic or canned. I also hear from a history teacher that I had a while ago, that freshly made DrPepper tastes completely different than DrPepper that is a few days old (they taste so different that you can’t compare the two).
Comment by Gregg Hatsman — August 28, 2006 @ 2:47 pm
I drink Dr. Pepper and I’m proud!
Comment by Mikki — August 30, 2006 @ 8:44 pm
Some possible flavors might be grape, cola, cherry, vanilla, orange, and leomon-lime.
Comment by Gregg Hatsman — September 1, 2006 @ 11:45 am
There are 2 ways to drink DP “hot”:
1- warm the DP up on the stove until just before it starts to simmer– then pour it in a mug containing a thin slice of lemon.
2- warm the DP up on the stove with a cinnamon stick floating in the DP. Remove the cinnamon, pour the DP in a mug. (this is something my family has done for years)
With the lemon, it has a more mellow taste. With the cinnamon, it definitely gives it more of a kick! Warning– only heat up the real stuff. Heating/Baking (yes, you can bake with DP!) will destroy the sweetener in the diet drinks. That’s why you shouldn’t cook with the stuff that’s in the blue or pink packs.
DP has never been a cola, and will never be a Cherry Coke. There was a court battle back in the day to determine whether it was a cola or not. The courts decided it was NOT A COLA. For it to be a cola, it would have to have the extract from the cola plant. Never has been, never will be.
If you think of how many different soda syrups are out there, I wouldn’t be surprised if grapefruit, orange, peach, grape, almond, and others are in there. I believe that Prune juice has never been a part of DP. Plum? Maybe. Prune? Doubt it.
Comment by a DP semi-expert. :) — September 2, 2006 @ 11:37 am
Not like anyone is going to read this far down…
I don’t care what the company line is. Dr. Pepper IS made from prune juice! IT WAS LISTED ON THE CAN WHEN I WAS A KID! I still clearly remember reading “prune juice” under the ingredients list on a can back in the late 70s or early 80s. It was the last ingredient listed.
At some point I mentioned the prune juice thing to my best friend. I don’t know how much time passed between reading the can and telling my friend, but I know I told her prior to 1983. We stopped hanging out by the time we hit 6th grade. Anyway, she didn’t believe me. We got into a huge argument and we settled it by walking to the store. The can we looked at together only said “natural ingredients”.
I will never forget being “proven” wrong about the prune juice thing. I don’t know what year they changed the listing from “prune juice” to “natural ingredients”, but they did it and it pisses me off that the company won’t own up to it. They’d rather lie than lose customers who are grossed out by prunes.
Comment by Danielle — September 3, 2006 @ 11:47 pm
i like dr pepper but i have no idea what it is someone tell me what it is!!!
i know its a some drink
Comment by elise barnett — September 17, 2006 @ 2:12 pm
Angostura Bitters? Does anyone else taste this?
Root Beer, Cola, Cherry, and Angostura Bitters. It was a frequent stomach soother in the 1930′s I think, but I am not sure about this.
Comment by Robert E — September 20, 2006 @ 4:49 pm
Ok i only drink the normal Dr pepper, i guess the one with fructose,..and its all good to me,..never tasted a love like it before,…and in my opionion it tastes like liquid sherburt,….but after reading everyones comments,..ive come to the conclusion it contains all that coke contains,..but that extract from the coke plant?…erg make sense,..probably not,..well i dnt know,..since ive been drinking it my health has got better,..so the prune rumour might be true,. i hate prunes,.but this stuff is way better than any other softdrink ive had,..have it anyday,..ditched the V energy drink.
Comment by Randm_tash — September 21, 2006 @ 12:40 am
is dr.pepper saying that they have 23 flavors or 23 ingredients? how many of these “flavors” are just the everyday things we find in other sodas?
Comment by broadwaylover — September 22, 2006 @ 9:58 am
I live in Texas and have had both kinds of DP. I much prefer the Dublin DP but do believe it is very pricey. I have been dring DP since I was a teenager and do not like any other brand. I even got a store manager to get it for me when I lived in Ohio in the early 70′s. Love it!!!!!!!! Love it!!!!!! Love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.
Comment by Linda Feemster — September 24, 2006 @ 6:37 pm
I love Dr. Pepper. I just wondering what are the 23
flavors in Dr.Pepper. I need to know what is in there.
Comment by Tiffany Heuson — October 4, 2006 @ 6:44 am
I love dr.pepper
Comment by Tiffany Heuson — October 4, 2006 @ 6:46 am
I like dr pepper, but i don’t see why they are advertising 23 flavors like it’s a good thing… the more stuff that’s in there the grosser, and probably the worse it is for you!
Comment by Cathy — October 4, 2006 @ 1:47 pm
hmm…lets see… cherry, vanilla, caramel, chocolate??, saspirilla root (as in root beer), ginger?, crack cocaine??? screw you dr. pepper…dont tell me there’s 23 flavors and then when i ask what they are “oh thats a secret”…yeah real funny DP
Comment by Dave Walker — October 18, 2006 @ 1:41 pm
anchovie paste
orange juice
squid ink
earwax
mustard
spicy mustard
pineapple top
facial hair
pocket lint
jalapeno salsa
barbecue sauce
axle grease
trout
molybdenum
italian sausage
grass clippings
beef stew
fear
shag carpet
goat
richard nixon
pork rinds
coke
Comment by the list — October 21, 2006 @ 9:45 pm
there are so many different answers to the 23 flavors of dr.pepper but i really wish on the commercials that they would tell us xome of the flavvors because i love dr.pepper and i really want to know!!!
Comment by delaney — October 28, 2006 @ 7:06 pm
i think there’s a black liquirice flavor in it….does anyone else taste it????
Comment by jamie — October 29, 2006 @ 10:12 am
My guess is that the 23 flavors are the leftovers of all the other sodas that the company makes
Comment by Eli — November 9, 2006 @ 8:45 pm
I remember drinking warmed up Dr Pepper as a kid. Just heat it up in a saucepan on the stove as described above with a lemon slice. You may be pleasantly surprised at how good it is.
It has been awhile since I had warmed Dr Pepper. I’ll have to have it soon and try it with the cinnamon stick.
Comment by Gary — November 10, 2006 @ 2:40 pm
meh, read everything, so i thought i would at least post. Also coming here in hopes of finding out the answer. Are you telling me in this day in age they cannot do a chemical analysis to get what the flavors are? Is that aganist the law? if i had the money time and knowhow…..
Comment by chris — November 30, 2006 @ 12:20 am
It’s people…. Dr. Pepper is made of people!
Comment by kyle — December 2, 2006 @ 2:02 pm
What the hellare the 23 flavors!!!!!!
Comment by Robyn — December 8, 2006 @ 3:15 pm
It’s not cherry coke. You’re a moron!
Comment by jim — December 11, 2006 @ 2:21 pm
there is something in doctor pepper that me and many people aren’t tolerant too…if I drink it I get horrible abdominal cramps…this only happens with dr.pepper…not any other soda from any brand (including the no name knock off’s of Dr. Pepper)
Comment by mike — December 24, 2006 @ 1:56 am
Mike, very interesting.
Do you have any known allergies? Tree nuts, for example?
Comment by Allison — December 24, 2006 @ 10:17 am
I used to work at DR Pepper. Let me tell you a little secret: There are only 22 flavors until the janitors add their own flavor late at night. I come from a long line of janitors. I don’t recommend drinking Dr pepper warm.
Comment by Chris and James — January 18, 2007 @ 3:19 pm
I agree with Mat Mt. Dew is the bomb. And to the DP semi expert, prunes are just dried out plums so tell me what the difference is between prune juice and plum juice, besides the fact that a prune will make less juice than a plum? I really don’t are what the 23 flavors are, but I agree with some of the posters here that the more flavors you mix together the more disgusting and probably unhealthier it will become.
Comment by jman — January 20, 2007 @ 2:46 pm
Straight from the Dr Pepper website:
Q: Does Dr Pepper contain prune juice?
A: Dr Pepper is a unique blend of natural and artificial flavors; it does not contain prune juice.
Comment by Jean — January 20, 2007 @ 10:31 pm
We think we have found 14 of the 23….
Cola
Cherry
Black Licorice
Amaretto
Vanilla
Blackberry
Caramel
Pepper
Anise
Root beer
Molasses
Lemon
Plum
Orange
Comment by Johnny — January 23, 2007 @ 11:22 am
Yes I know the last message was 2 years ago but maybe we can get it started again
I figured I’d throw my thought into the 23 flavors of DP if there really are 23.
these are labeled in no particular order let me know what you think
Plum
Nutmeg
cardamon
Fennel
Clove
Vanilla
Almond
Lemon
Raspberry
Blackberry
Orange
Rum Extract
Ginger
Apricot
Star Anise
Licorice
Grape
Coriander (sp?)
acid now it is phosphoric acid I believe
water
caffeine
sugar
coloring
Comment by Matt — August 6, 2009 @ 10:09 am
Matt,
That’s a pretty good list.
Has anyone tried Cherry Dr. Pepper. It’s not bad, although I’m pretty sure cherry is one of the original 23, so it’s a bit redundant. Cherry Dr. Pepper reminds me of Cheerwine, a regional soft drink native to North Carolina.
Comment by BTD Greg — August 6, 2009 @ 1:44 pm
i searched 23 flavors of doctor pepper on google and this is what came up first.. but i have no proof to back this
1. Amaretto
2. Almond
3. Blackberry
4. Black Licorice
5. Carrot
6. Clove
7. Cherry
8. Caramel
9. Cola
10. Ginger
11. Juniper
12. Lemon
13. Molasses
14. Nutmeg
15. Orange
16. Prune
17. Plum
18. Pepper
19. Root Beer
20. Rum
21. Raspberry
22. Tomato
23. Vanilla
Comment by marty — August 20, 2009 @ 1:40 pm
BTD Greg,
I bought a 12 pack of Cherry Dr Pepper recently and was surprised at how much I liked it. Much better than Cherry-Vanilla Dr Pepper, which was way too sweet.
Comment by a random John — August 20, 2009 @ 1:55 pm
Yes, Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper is a mess. Too sweet and too many clashing flavors (which is ironic, given the topic of this thread). Or maybe the problem is that the flavors they added are to cloying.
Comment by BTD_Greg — August 20, 2009 @ 2:03 pm
Since the creation of Dr. Pepper Cherry does that change the 23 flavor factor?
Comment by Olivia — August 20, 2009 @ 2:20 pm
Not if cherry is already on the list!
. It would just move up several spots.
Comment by a random John — August 20, 2009 @ 9:22 pm
This post gets more hits via Google than any other post by far. I’ve no idea why.
Comment by Clark — August 20, 2009 @ 10:26 pm
Because people are always googling “What are the 23 flavors in Dr.Pepper?”
Comment by MCQ — August 21, 2009 @ 10:55 am
And when they do, we’re number one.
I’d like to think it’s because I’m such an awesome blogger, but I’m not ready to take on that kind of delusion right now.
Comment by BTD Greg — August 21, 2009 @ 11:23 am
I think there is some apple in there too.
The cherry/almond flavor is certainly benzaldehyde and perhaps some other cherry-like aldehydes. As someone said, it’s quite pronounced in the diet version.
Diet Dr Pepper is by far the best diet soda in America, I am drinking one as I type.
Coke Light, not sold in America, is also very good.
Comment by Doc — August 21, 2009 @ 12:15 pm
Doc,
I don’t drink diet, but I understand that Coke Zero is pretty close to Coke Light.
Comment by a random John — August 21, 2009 @ 1:17 pm
I’ve tried Coke Light and Coke Zero at the same time and have reached the conclusion that the two are essentially identical. Both use the same mix of artificial sweeteners (a combo of aspartame and Ace-K).
One issue with Coke Zero (my soft drink of choice, btw) is that the artificial sweeteners tend to get less sweat the older the can gets, so a “fresh” Coke Zero tastes better and sweeter than an old can.
Comment by BTD Greg — August 21, 2009 @ 1:25 pm
I’ve always wondered what the 23 flavours of Dr. Pepper are. But I know that there’s definately NOT any Rootbeer because Mr. Pibb (which, no matter what people at restraunts say when they don’t have Dr. Pepper and offer Mr. Pibb, does NOT taste like DP) is a rootbeer product. Dr. Pepper isn’t. Dr. Pepper is a citrus product because, up until a year or two ago (well, in Knoxville, TN), one of the ingrediants according to the label was “Citric acid”.
And I agree that the original recipe is best. I was born in Abilene, TX and lived there until I was about 7, so I know that it’s better. I haven’t had it since moving from Texas, so I don’t remember JUST what it tastes like, just that it tastes better. If anyone knows where I could find Dr. Pepper made with Pure Cane Sugar in Knoxville, Tennessee, I’d greatly appreciate it.
-Rhyan
Comment by Rhyan — August 29, 2009 @ 9:38 am
there is definitely almond in it…
Comment by Kathryn — September 2, 2009 @ 2:47 pm
what is the recipe
Comment by jenna — September 5, 2009 @ 8:04 pm
peple do they work with you
Comment by jenna — September 5, 2009 @ 8:07 pm
Rhyan,
As I mentioned way up in comment #1, go to dublindrpepper.com and order yourself some of the good stuff.
Comment by a random John — September 6, 2009 @ 1:30 pm
I just drink it…
Comment by Jason — September 7, 2009 @ 8:15 am
I recently moved to Waco, TX. The birthplace of DP. Yesterday my girlfriend and I went to the Dr Pepper museum. According to one of the displays DP was made to “taste like the complex smell of a pharmacy”. We also picked up some Dubblin DP, DP Jellybellies, and had DP floats made at a soda fountain by hand with syrup and soda water. Fun place!
Comment by Alan — September 7, 2009 @ 7:24 pm
Ha! Because, how often to you think to yourself, “You know what I could go for *right now*? Something that tastes just like a pharmacy smells!”?
Comment by BTD Greg — September 7, 2009 @ 9:08 pm
<homer> Cough syrup. Umm. </homer>
Comment by Clark — September 7, 2009 @ 9:09 pm
I just found out that Pepsi/Coke has cinamon in it so im sure there are some herbs and spices but it is positively CHERRY VANILLA PEPSI! The cheryy Dr P just goes overboard with the cherry flavor as does cherry van. Dr P. But Dr Pepper is definitely cherry vanilla Pepsi!
Comment by Feyso — September 18, 2009 @ 11:07 am
Wow I just spent an hour of my life reading this and learned absolutely nothing kept me entertainted tho. I think dp definatly has some of the same ingredients as root beer and has anywon tryed crush birch beer? Definatly some similaritys there!
Comment by me — September 23, 2009 @ 11:51 am
I have Confirmed the 23 Flavors of Dr.Pepper i talked to a Dr.pepper worker on the phone you cna contact them at there number or email go to Drpepper.com for more details 1-800-696-5891 They will not answer any questions from someone under the age of 13 it is there policy! 22 Flavors are in Dr.pepper the one not in Dr.pepper are Prune there is no Prune but
Amaretto
Almond
Blackberry
Black Licorice
Carrot
Clove
Cherry
Caramel
Cola
Ginger
Juniper
Lemon
Molasses
Nutmeg
Orange
Plum
Pepper
Root Beer
Rum
Rasberry
Tomato
Vanilla are confirmed and definitly in Dr.pepper but there is NO PRUNE WHAT SO EVER!
Facts are Facts
Comment by Misty — October 7, 2009 @ 3:10 pm
Also I do not know the 23rd Flavor i did not ask i was so happy i knew the 22 i forgot the 23rd haha! tell me if you have confirmed the 23rd and what it is! THERE IS NO PRUNE THOUGH!
Comment by Misty — October 7, 2009 @ 3:12 pm
103.I have Confirmed the 23 Flavors of Dr.Pepper i talked to a Dr.pepper worker on the phone you cna contact them at there number or email go to Drpepper.com for more details 1-800-696-5891 They will not answer any questions from someone under the age of 13 it is there policy! 22 Flavors are in Dr.pepper the one not in Dr.pepper are Prune there is no Prune but
Amaretto
Almond
Blackberry
Black Licorice
Carrot
Clove
Cherry
Caramel
Cola
Ginger
Juniper
Lemon
Molasses
Nutmeg
Orange
Plum
Pepper
Root Beer
Rum
Rasberry
Tomato
Vanilla are confirmed and definitly in Dr.pepper but there is NO PRUNE WHAT SO EVER!
Comment by Misty — October 7, 2009 @ 3:14 pm
it contains no prune “juice”, but, it contains prune “flavoring”. Now, you are all enlightened and I will be fired from Dr. Pepper.
Comment by jason — October 7, 2009 @ 10:40 pm
How would prune flavoring be different from plum flavoring?
I do appreciate you sacrificing your job for the good of this thread though, Jason.
Comment by BTD Greg — October 8, 2009 @ 7:50 am
Wow! Really loves the taste of DP and always will! Can’t believe I just read every comment from My BlackBerry, but loved seeing all the different points everyone has made! Maybe one day we will know the true flavorings, but until then screw it! Its great, so drink it up!
Comment by Casey Dale! — October 10, 2009 @ 4:19 pm
Youre all being fooled. There isnt 23 flavors that are “real” flavors. It more than likely has two or three actual flavors and the rest are all man made flavorings. They probably even count the preservatives and coloring added as one of the “23 flavors”.
Comment by Paul — October 14, 2009 @ 7:12 pm
okk…lets see. I’m with my dad at work and I CAN DEFINELTY taste…
-chocolate
-cherry
-vanilla
-and maybe a teensy bit of raspberry?
-and is there cream?(maybe ice cream….?)
and i know its kinda silly but I can kinda taste them in that order.
Comment by Emily — October 16, 2009 @ 11:50 am
“Hot” Dr. Pepper is a beverage served from the concession stands at high school football games in North Texas. I never had the guts to try it when I lived there, but I could see how it would taste alright, I guess.
Comment by Bull Moose — October 16, 2009 @ 6:35 pm
Thanks Jason! I’m glad we have the prune flavor understood!
Comment by Ashly — October 25, 2009 @ 11:40 pm
I live in Australia, they sold Dr Pepper in the late 90′s. I loved it! But you can only buy it from specialty stores that import it from america now, somehow it tastes different to me.
I was surprised to see 23 flavors on the can, really can anyone taste 23 different flavors at once? it seems people taste a dominant flavor that they like, I guess the more flavors the more chance your going to taste something you like.
I heard that Coke tastes slightly different all over the world, marketing is flavor to different international palates. Perhaps this is why the American Dr Pepper tastes sweeter and more cherry/raspberry to me than the spicy aniseed/licorice/sarsaparilla flavor I remember drinking when it was sold in Australia.
In Australia most sweet things are flavored with cane sugar rather than corn syrup (we are one of the biggest sugar cane growers internationally) , maybe the Australian one tasted different because of the sugar (I’ve also been told that American’s have a sweeter palate than Australian’s in general). I’m just glad we can buy it at all!
Comment by Rachel — November 1, 2009 @ 12:54 am
i can taste aniseed vanila butnot too much chery.
mabe its diferent here in new zealand.
Comment by karl — November 21, 2009 @ 10:39 pm
I live in NZ too and LOVE Dr Pepper. I don’t really bother with trying to taste out the ingredients in the drink. If there were 23 (or 22) flavours then the flavouring wouldn’t be heavy, as that would clash all the flavours. I don’t see why Dr Pepper has to hide their 23 (or 22) for the drink in a KFC-esque sort of way. I mean it’s patented and they don’t have to tell their major ingredients.
Dr Pepper is not “basically cherry coke”. Cherry Coke is “basically Dr Pepper” (they may sound the same but they aren’t). Dr Pepper was first manufactured 100 years before Cherry Coke (I’m not kidding – according to Wikipedia, Dr Pepper was first widely served in 1885, and Cherry Coke was first widely served in 1985). Meaning that Dr Pepper is in NO way an imitation of Cherry Coke (which I see has been stated on this blog in an almost derogatory way).
For those who say Dr Pepper tastes like cough syrup, if you Had to make a choice, would you drink 335 ml of cough syrup or 335 ml of Dr Pepper. Personally, I’d choose the latter.
Comment by Michael — December 2, 2009 @ 3:42 am
For those of you commenting that Dr Pepper hurts your stomach and whatnot, a friends mom had the SAME problem. She called DP MULTIPLE times trying to get a list of whats in it. FINALLY got one. IT HAS MEAT BYPRODUCTS IN IT! Shes ALLERGIC to red meat and the byproducts. If you have a recovering alcoholic friend out there whos a vegitarian, and this is what they took over to stop drinking alcohol, DONT TELL THEM!
Comment by Lindsay — December 18, 2009 @ 7:36 am
If I had to guess at one of the flavors, I would have to say it’s almond extract. I have had plenty of flaming dr peppers and one of the ingredients in that is Amaretto which has almond etract in it. Next time you’re t the store, smell a bottle of the almond extract and seewhat you think.
Comment by robert Castleberry — January 5, 2010 @ 12:30 pm
Well, after 3,186 cans of Dr. Pepper, and an extended time behind closed doors, barricaded windows, fearing human contact, and playing World of War Craft… I have deliberated and debated with my multiple personalities and devised this final list of the 23 flavors. It goes as follows, in no particular order of importance or realism:
1. Hate.
2. That stuff the Gremlins hatched out of. You know, the goopy stuff.
3. Leprechauns.
4. The tears of orphans.
5. Medical waste. (for color and flavor!)
6. Farm fertilizer runoff.
7. Gun powder.
8. Smurfs.
9. Kessler’s… or some other cheap whiskey.
10. Shame.
11. Self-hatred.
12. Suicide.
13. Pharmaceutical grade morphine.
14. Dirt.
15. Clam juice.
16. Untested hallucinogenic compounds.
17. Battery acid.
18. Ball gag (artificial flavoring only).
19. KY Lubricant… the gel kind, not the liquid.
20. Leather.
21. Rubber.
22. Traumatic childhood.
23. Cheez-Whiz.
I’m reasonably certain these are the flavors I’ve been tasting… at least for the past few months. Is there a new Halo out yet….. where did I put my Dr. Pepper!??? OMG!!!!!! No!!!!!!!!!!!! …….
………..
………..
………..
K, I found it. It was under my stomach. Man… 3,187…
Comment by Jebus — January 12, 2010 @ 8:29 pm
You all are certifiable….
1)prunes are dried plums which makes the flavor more concentrated. duh.
2)does it really make a difference what it contains? unless you have a severe allergy, that is??
3)passover DP is made with cane sugar, just like the Dublin DP, and Canadian or Mexican colas and soft drinks…
Comment by Nicole — January 14, 2010 @ 7:17 pm
I bet the “cough syrup” taste is Root Beer!
Comment by Erin — January 16, 2010 @ 6:19 pm
I do tast artificial cherry and amaretto, whish, as already mentioned are probably just one single ingredient. But if some sort of almond flavouring in one of the ingredients, then it is most definitely artificial, since products are required by law to state on the label if the product contains severe allergens.
Plus, I had a roommate who was deathly allergic to peanuts and tree nuts (I mean, the SMELL of an almond would be cause enough for her to use an epi-pen), and she drank dr pepper all the time.
Comment by Liz — January 17, 2010 @ 3:47 am
“whish, as already mentioned are probably just one single ingredient. But if some sort of almond flavouring in one of the ingredients”
…that should be “which” and “is”. It’s been a very, very long day.
Comment by Liz — January 17, 2010 @ 3:49 am
I can’t come up with 23 flavors, but three that I most detect would be raspberry, almond, and clove. I read somewhere (although I don’t know how much truth there is to this) that originally the flavor of Dr Pepper was supposed to imitate the smell of a soda shop and is therefore just a mishmash of different fruit flavors.
Comment by JJ — January 23, 2010 @ 3:22 am
I drink Diet Dr Pepper (haven’t drank regular soda for 15 years) and I am convinced that it is the more healthy of the diet sodas out there. There are what seem to be the least harmful of the artificial sweeteners in it. And I am addicted
Comment by Tracey Lee — February 9, 2010 @ 10:23 am
Tastes like cherry cola to me. I always thought that’s what it is. Anyway it would be my favorite cherry cola.
Comment by Dave — February 13, 2010 @ 12:13 am
I think whale cum is one of the flavors…
Comment by Rocky — March 6, 2010 @ 12:44 am
Violet, as in the violet used to flavor C. Howard gum/ mints; a blend of apricot pits & almonds similar to that used in the making of amaretto; horehound.
Comment by RT — March 11, 2010 @ 1:46 am
I know all the flavors!
Amaretto, Almond, Blackberry, Black Licorice, Carrot, Clove, Cherry, Caramel, Cola, Ginger, Juniper, Lemon, Molasses, Nutmeg, Orange, Prune, Plum, Pepper, Root Beer Rum, Raspberry, Tomato and Vanilla
Comment by Candy — April 8, 2010 @ 6:12 pm
i don’t really care what the flavors are. i don’t like the stuff……….
Comment by Dave — April 17, 2010 @ 7:27 pm
When I was a kid it had a licorice taste with a spicy kick. It was also sweeter. Now it is significantly blander then 30 yrs ago. Whereas Coke tastes the same to me.
Comment by Tim — April 21, 2010 @ 11:37 am
See this may sound weird, but Birthday Cake is also one of the flavors. Im dead serious…
Comment by Mike — April 25, 2010 @ 7:04 pm
1. Amaretto
2. Almond
3. Blackberry
4. Black Licorice
5. Carrot
6. Clove
7. Cherry
8. Caramel
9. Cola
10. Ginger
11. Juniper
12. Lemon
13. Molasses
14. Nutmeg
15. Orange
16. Prune
17. Plum
18. Pepper
19. Root Beer
20. Rum
21. Raspberry
22. Tomato
23. Vanilla
Comment by regan — May 28, 2010 @ 12:24 am
Interesting list, regan.
As we’ve seen before, though, I don’t see how you can list “plum” and “prune” as two separate flavors.
Comment by BTD Greg — May 28, 2010 @ 7:23 am
Almond, it is that simple, I run a lab, we took it apart and it was almond extract. Period. Try this: take a coke and add Ameratta, and tell me what it taste like. Discussion over
Comment by ken barlow — June 8, 2010 @ 11:45 am
I’m drinking a doctor pepper right now!
I can taste the following flavors if I drink it slow enough in no particular order:
1. Caramel
2. Chocolate
3. Cherry
4. Vanilla
Comment by lopli — June 18, 2010 @ 9:26 am
I’m pretty sure it’s cherry cola with a dash of caramelized pickle juice.
Comment by susan — June 23, 2010 @ 9:16 am
Btw, its way more then cherry coke, my dad says its cherry root beer. the only people that think this is people who dont drink it much.
Comment by Flyboy — June 30, 2010 @ 5:58 pm
OK, as i type I am drinking some Dr. Pepper, and I almost certainly taste prune/plum in it.
Comment by Josh — July 2, 2010 @ 6:22 pm
Has anyone mentioned licorice and cinnamon? I’ve always thought those were two very obvious flavors, along with root beer and cherry. (Or is it almond?
)
Comment by Lea — July 4, 2010 @ 1:04 pm
I think that one of the major ingredients is jallab, a date flavored Lebanese drink.
Comment by Gnesio Hamartolos — July 4, 2010 @ 8:01 pm
Does anybody on this list even read what the people before them have said?!?!? Debate champs you all ain’t.
Comment by Bingo — July 5, 2010 @ 11:05 pm
Maybe there’s a big vat somewhere where Dr. Pepper himself, plus 22 of his personal accoutrements, has been left to ferment with sugar syrup…
Comment by Bingo — July 5, 2010 @ 11:09 pm
[...] that KB is 23 Flavors central I thought I should mention some big news: Dr Pepper is using actual sugar in its products to [...]
Pingback by Kulturblog » Real Dr Pepper Available Locally! — July 16, 2010 @ 11:12 am
Pretty certain there’s violet extract in it as it smells just like violet perfume when you open it…………….
Comment by Cherie — August 2, 2010 @ 9:08 pm