Good news for all the warm-soda enthusiasts out there: your heretic ways have been blessed by social media. At least when it comes to Dr Pepper, America’s second favorite fizzy beverage. (If you have to ask which brand is #1, then you’re probably not welcome in Atlanta, GA.) As far back as 1958, Dr Pepper started pitching a hot version of their soda to drive up sales during winter. So there’s history behind the slew of online videos cropping up that offer tutorials on how to make the retro drink, like this one from a Miss Morgan Chomps of Instagram. Chomps says she was brought up on Hot Dr Pepper thanks to her mother who used to purchase it while in high school. The recipe is simple: pour a two-liter bottle of Dr Pepper into a slow cooker (or saucepan on the stove), heat, and add slices of lemon. Chomps implores skeptics like myself not to “knock it ‘til you try it,” but I may have to respectfully disagree.
In a video posted on Instagram, user Morgan Chomps kickstarted a new trend: Dr Pepper, most commonly consumed cold, warmed up in a CrockPot and garnished with some fresh lemon.
Morgan said that while her mother was in high school, hot Dr Pepper was the go-to warm drink at concession stands. When her mom made the drink for her, she instantly loved it.
The recipe, the user explains, only requires three things — a two-liter bottle of Dr Pepper, a fresh lemon and a slow cooker.
“This is soda on a whole ‘nother level,” she said.
To make the drink, empty the bottle of Dr Pepper into a slow cooker. Morgan set her cooker on high for roughly two hours, she said, until the liquid is hot — but not boiling or simmering.
In the meantime, she said to cut the lemon into thin slices. They can be added to the drink, or you can squeeze the juice directly into the liquid. Both methods will allow the flavors of the citrus and soda to “marinate together,” she said.
“The spices of Dr Pepper really work well as a hot drink, and the lemon just brings it all home,” she said. “Don’t knock it ‘til you try it.”
The recipe quickly went viral, and users across social media platforms gave the beverage a try. Many were surprised that the drink was good, noting the lemon was a great addition and that the hot Dr Pepper seemed to have more flavor than the traditional cold version.
The Dr Pepper Museum has served a similar drink, a TikTok from their page showed. Their recipe includes making the soda from scratch with their “secret syrup,” and heating the beverage specifically to 180 degrees.
[From People]
The 23 signature flavors in Dr Pepper’s “secret syrup” are widely rumored to be: cola, cherry, licorice, amaretto, almond, vanilla, blackberry, apricot, caramel, pepper, anise, sarsaparilla, ginger, molasses, lemon, plum, orange, nutmeg, cardamon, all spice, coriander juniper, birch, and prickly ash. So yeah, I’m not surprised people like this concoction heated up — it’s like a Hot Toddy on steroids! (Minus the alcohol.) Or like a liquified version of all the fruity pies of the season! No offense to Dr Pepper and its legions of fans, but this drink warmed up is not making my world taste better. Granted, I know it was never gonna be a hit with me on many fronts. For one, I’m an avowed Coca Cola girl. Always have been, always will be. And still, I would never ever want to imbibe my CC at any temperature short of freezing. I like it on ice, preferably with the can/bottle having been in the fridge for a few hours, and even better if the glass it’s poured into has been resting in the freezer. I want my soda cold. I’ve also learned that I’m a bit of a soda purist. So no, I don’t want notes of gingerbread added to Pepsi, marshmallow fluff added to Coke, or, in this case, extra lemon added to a steaming version of Dr Pepper.
But if this warmed up fizz is your jam, do enjoy and may the spirit of the season be with you. You certainly have a stronger stomach than I.
