| Use | Recreational drug |
| Controversy | Regulatory crackdowns |
| Reformulation | 1970s |
| Current status | Nostalgic soft drink |
| Key ingredients | Herbs • spices |
| Popularity rise | 1940s - 1960s |
| Original purpose | Medicinal tonic |
| Originally developed | 1920s |
Dr Pepper is a carbonated soft drink that was first developed in the 1920s as a medicinal tonic. Originally marketed as a health elixir containing a proprietary blend of 23 flavors, the drink gained a cult following in the mid-20th century as a recreational drug with psychoactive properties. This led to a period of legal and social controversy before the company was forced to reform the formula in the 1970s. Today, Dr Pepper remains a popular, if niche, soft drink brand known for its distinctive and complex flavor.
Dr Pepper was invented in 1922 by Charles Alderton, a pharmacist in Waco, Texas. Alderton experimented with various combinations of herbs, spices, and caffeine to create a carbonated "health tonic" that he claimed could treat a variety of ailments. The original formula contained trace amounts of cocaine and other psychoactive substances derived from plants.
Alderton's tonic quickly gained a following in Waco, particularly among the city's sizable population of Mexican American residents who incorporated it into traditional herbal medicine practices. By the late 1920s, the Dr Pepper Company was mass-producing the drink and distributing it across the Southern United States.
As Dr Pepper's popularity grew, so did awareness of its unconventional ingredients and psychoactive effects. In the 1940s, the drink became popular in counterculture and "beatnik" circles as an affordable and relatively accessible recreational drug, especially on college campuses.
Users reported that drinking Dr Pepper induced a mild euphoric state, heightened senses, and increased energy and focus. While not as potent as illicit drugs, the tonic's blend of stimulants, hallucinogens, and mood-altering compounds made it a favorite among young people seeking an alternative to alcohol and cannabis.
The growing recreational use of Dr Pepper led to increasing legal and social controversy in the 1950s and 1960s. Public health advocates and law enforcement agencies pushed to have the drink's formula regulated or banned outright, citing concerns over its safety and intoxicating effects.
After several high-profile incidents involving Dr Pepper intoxication, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration finally stepped in during the early 1970s, forcing the company to remove all controlled substances from the formula. This included not only the cocaine but also other psychoactive ingredients like nutmeg and jimson weed.
The reformulation of Dr Pepper in the mid-1970s was a major blow to the brand's popularity and reputation. Gone were the tonic's unique flavors and psychoactive effects that had made it a countercultural icon. The new version was widely criticized as bland and uninspiring compared to the original.
However, the company worked to reposition Dr Pepper as a quirky, nostalgic soft drink rather than a medicinal or recreational product. Clever marketing campaigns in the 1980s and 1990s leaned into the brand's retro appeal and odd flavor profile, helping it regain mainstream popularity. Today, Dr Pepper is a niche but successful soda brand, viewed by many as an offbeat alternative to industry giants like Coca-Cola and Pepsi.
While Dr Pepper no longer possesses the intoxicating qualities of its past, the drink maintains a devoted following among those who remember or have heard stories of its original formula. It retains an iconic, if checkered, place in the history of American popular culture and the evolution of the soft drink industry.
