Dr. Pepper Originated in Waco Texas

The next time you order a Dr Pepper just say, "Shoot me a Waco" and see what kind of reaction you get. Dr Pepper lovers probably have a hard time envisioning a world without their favorite beverage but, in 1885, the only place you could buy a Dr Pepper was Waco, Texas.


Many older folks may have pleasant memories of going to the old drive-in movies and enjoying that sweet, fizzy taste of Dr Pepper, also the 10-2-4 logo on the small bottles of the 50's and 60's, which was a marketing strategy for Dr Pepper's boost of energy between meals.

According to one poll, almost a third of voters were "never seen without one" and another 25% voted that they drink it "on the hour, every hour". That's quite a passion for Dr Pepper.

The first person ever to drink Dr Pepper was Charles Alderton, a young English pharmacist who worked for Wade Morrison in his Old Corner Drugstore in Waco, Texas. Alderton spent most of his time dispensing medicines but also sold fountain drinks to patrons. History has it that he loved to experiment with various combinations of the fruit-based flavors and finally came up with one he especially favored.

He offered tastes to his employer who liked it so much that he wanted to offer it to his customers, who also found it to their liking. They began ordering this new nameless drink by asking the fountain clerk to "shoot me a Waco" since this was the only place it could be found. Eventually other drug stores bought the drink from Morrison in order to serve this "Texas native" from their fountains as well.

It's not clear how the drink got its name but the Dr Pepper Museum in Waco shares several different stories. The most accepted story has it that Wade Morrison had worked for a physician by the name of Dr. Pepper when he lived in Wytheville, Virginia. Being very much enamored of Dr. Pepper's daughter, he named the drink Dr. Pepper's Phos-Ferrates in honor of her father. Around 1900, it was shortened to Dr. Pepper, and in the 1950's the period after Dr was dropped.

Also, in the 1950's the company published a brochure about Dr Pepper, claiming that "its unique flavor results from the unique blending of pure fruit flavors (gathered throughout the world) with mystic spices from far off Madagascar, and clean, clear distilled sparkling water."  Some have believed that, because of the name, Dr Pepper contains black pepper, green pepper or peppermint and some say that it may contain prune juice, however, the company denies all of these.

William Poundstone wrote in his book, "Big Secrets", that "the formula contains 23 ingredients and is locked in two bank vaults. Only four people know it." Some regions list Imperial Cane Sugar as an ingredient and the Dr Pepper company vice president admitted that synthetic vanillin is used.

In the beginning, Dr Pepper, which by the way is not a cola, contained no caffeine but when the energizing effects of the drug were realized, caffeine was added for a time. Since Dr Pepper was marketed as a healthful, energizing tonic, caffeine was exchanged, around 1939, for Vitamin B1. This was quickly found to cause the product to spoil easily so it was eliminated and caffeine added once more. Eventually, a caffeine-free version became available as well as a diet version and a caffeine-free, diet version, and other flavors.

In 2002, Diet Dr Pepper was found on the top ten list of U.S. soft drinks. So popular is Dr Pepper's unique taste that Coca-Cola marketed their own imitation in 1972 called Mr Pibb.  In 2002, after 117 years, Dr Pepper introduced a new flavor called Red Fusion, which has the basic flavor of Dr Pepper but with new fruit tastes.

The Dr Pepper Museum can be found on the corner of Fifth Street and Mary Avenue in downtown Waco.  The Home of Dr. Pepper opened in 1991 and over 65,000 visitors tour the facility each year, including field trip students from all over the state. Several one-hour tours are available upon reservation. One tour tells about the soft drink industry and the invention of Dr Pepper, and allows visitors to explore the Bottling Room, "shoot a Waco" at the fountain and have a sample drink. Another tour allows students to create their very own original soft drink. Tour prices vary. The museum is open seven days a week, with varying hours.


Now based in Plano, Texas, Dr Pepper/7Up, Inc is the largest non-cola enterprise in North America.  From its humble beginnings at Morrison's Old Corner Drugstore in Waco, Texas to its prominent presence in today's market, Dr Pepper is a prime model of free enterprise.