Dr Pepper has a unique flavor shrouded in secrecy, making it a bit of an enigma among sodas. Of course, the brand has branched out from the original recipe by offering multiple different flavors, so we tried as many varieties of Dr Pepper as we could to see which ones measure up. We used the original Dr Pepper as the baseline for comparing the different players. And, not surprisingly, none of them could beat the original Dr Pepper.
Dr Pepper has such a complex flavor profile, with a base of black cherry, vanilla, and citrus layered with spicy notes of black pepper, anise, ginger, and cardamom. The rich, sweet, and tangy base combines with spicy and almost savory notes from the spices for a literal flavor explosion that covers nearly every major taste category. The best part is that no one flavor regins supreme. It's a perfectly balanced formula that we don't want to stop sipping. While other Dr. Pepper varieties brought more fruit, vanilla, or even cream to the profile, it did nothing to wow us. If anything, additional flavors just threw off that perfect balance. To that effect, our top three favorite Dr. Pepper varieties (Diet Dr Pepper and Dr Pepper Zero) were just renditions of the Original. It's safe to say that with Dr Pepper, the adage "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" applies.
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You can take our word for it that the Original Dr Pepper reigns supreme, but there are plenty of soda lovers with the same opinion. One Redditor wrote, "I enjoy pretty much every flavor but nothing hits the same." Another Redditor was even more certain, proclaiming, "ice cold original Dr Pepper is the only Dr Pepper I need. It's already perfect. No gimmick necessary." Top contenders among Redditors also included, cream soda, dark berry, and strawberries and cream.
Dr Pepper isn't just the perfect soda, but it also can serve as the secret weapon in marinades, desserts, or cocktails. If you want to upgrade your Dr Pepper into an ultra creamy and luxurious dessert drink, we recommend making a Dirty Dr Pepper, spiked with coconut cream and lime juice. Another way to dirt your Dr Pepper is by spiking it with booze in a crafty cocktail. We think a sugar-based rum would be a tasty Dr Pepper pairing, but we can't get behind the viral Dr. Pepper margarita. With its vanilla and cherry foundation, Dr Pepper is an excellent base for an ice cream float; a scoop of your favorite vanilla ice cream is a classic choice, but sweet cream ice cream would give it cream soda vibes. Perhaps the most unexpected use for Dr Pepper is as a glaze in this recipe for Dr Pepper barbecue chicken.