"Dr. Scola" Dr. Pepper Cocktail Recipe

Back in 1885, a Texan by the name of Charles Alderton invented a distinctively flavored soda called Dr. Pepper. Today that soda is sold all over the world and has become an American classic, but there's only one place still producing the original formula, and that's in the tiny town of Dublin, Texas.

Texans are fiercely proud of their state's iconic Dr. Pepper, and every year, some 60,000 visitors flock to Dublin to see the bottling plant firsthand (there's a museum and on-site tours) and to stock up on as much of the soda as they can carry away. This cocktail from Houston bartender Robert Heugel is a tribute to the original Dr. Pepper and to Rockets player Luis Scola, another pride of Texas, whose Argentinean roots take him to Heugel's bar, Anvil, for the occasional Fernet and Coke.

One night, after a visit from Scola, Heugel decided to combine the Fernet with rum, bitters and a splash of Dublin Dr. Pepper, and the Dr. Scola was born. Charles Alderton would be proud indeed.