Hot Dr Pepper Is The Retro Drink TikTok Has Rediscovered

Allegedly, 23 flavors are combined to create Dr Pepper, though the exact ingredients behind its distinctive taste remain a closely guarded secret. The social media world has speculated for many years over the mystery, and now the TikTok sphere has added some new Dr Pepper buzz to bubble over: hot Dr Pepper, which is apparently a holiday drink that has been around a long time. (Who knew?)

There are various retro foods that are due for a comeback, and it seems retro drinks are poised for rediscovery as well. The social media world is calling this beverage the hot new trend for 2024 holidays, seemingly not realizing that while it's certainly hot (the manufacturer's recipe called for heating the drink to a temperature of 180 degrees Fahrenheit), it's by no means new.

The Dr Pepper company began marketing its hot version of the drink in 1959. Making it was easy: Simply heat Dr Pepper in a saucepan until it steams, pour it into a mug over a slice of lemon, and enjoy. These instructions were delivered to the public by no less than the legendary Dick Clark, who appeared in a television commercial touting the beverage and demonstrating how to make it. Back in the drink's heyday, people could send off in the mail for four hot Dr Pepper specialty mugs with bronze anodized aluminum handles for just $2.50, according to a retro advertisement. A dedicated shipping address in Philadelphia was created to process these hot Dr Pepper mug orders.

The idea for hot Dr Pepper was hatched by former company president Wesby Parker in the 1950s as a remedy for declining sales in the winter when chilly soda pop was often the last thing people wanted. Speaking of remedies, to this day many believe hot Dr Pepper is a great therapy for common colds and sore throats. One commenter on a TikTok thread said, "am I the only one who does this for when you feel sick? my grandma always said hot dr pepper and lemon juice helped a sore throat." On the Dr Pepper Museum's official TikTok page, a video about the hot version of the drink has amassed over 168,000 likes with one commenter saying, "Mom always gave me a hot Dr. Pepper with lemon every time I was sick."

Whether or not it has any effect on illness, the drink was an effective answer to flagging soda sales during the holiday and winter seasons. The trend of consuming the brew as a festive drink became popular and remained so for decades, not tapering off until well into the 1970s. The 1999 film "Blast from the Past" paid homage to the retro beverage, with a scene depicting Christopher Walken's character offering some to his onscreen wife, Sissy Spacek.

As the trend experiences revival this holiday season, reviews are mixed in the cyberworld regarding whether hot Dr Pepper is plain delicious or just plain weird. One conclusive finding is that the drink does go flat at hot temperatures. But hey, as fads go, it beats the viral pickles and Dr Pepper drink.