I was just drinking a can and the question came to mind. The can says artificial and natural flavors and I couldn’t find anything on the net about what it actually is.
Anyone got the straight dope?
Thanks
Almonds? The flavor is rather reminiscent of Amaretto.
Almonds? And here I’ve been thinking it’s flavored with the same stuff they put in pink bubblegum…
To be very honest…its plums. I will look for a cite, but I have heard it form one or more different sources in the past 10 years.
you know i find Cherry Coke smells of marzipan, which is of coarse almond based.
Dr Pepper has a slightly similar taste/smell, but not so marzipanish so i reckon it must be plum.
Oddly enough I found this through a google search.
From: The Straight Dope Mailbag
Does the soft drink Dr Pepper contain prunes?
The short answer is no.
From said article:
Read the article.
Here’s a test, open a jar of maraschino cherries and a bottle of almond extract. Close your eyes and smell them, no difference. A lot of so-called cherry flavored items are actually almond scented.
I always thought Dr. Pepper tasted of cherries. So I guess almond it is!
Many soft drinks have secret forulae. This is primarily because you can’t patent a taste. (Any IP lawyers out there to confirm this?) Were the formula to Dr. Pepper or Coke to get out, anybody could make the stuff and sell it on the cheap, the same way Parfums de Coeur does with CK One and other scents. In fact (after some initial safety-based jitters), I’d think this would be a much greater threat than in the perfume market. Perfumes are thought to be classy, so people aren’t that likely to get the generic brand even though it’s exactly the same. Drinks, esp. non-alcoholic ones, don’t have that buffer.
–Cliffy
Almonds and cherries are, of course, very closely related (I too have always thought there was little difference between cherry and almond flavours in commercial products)
Actually, this already goes on, to some extent. Think of every generic cola out there, or Wal-Mart’s “Dr. Thunder” ripoff. People still go for names w/ soda, too, I think.
As mentioned in the Staff Report linked to above, Dr Pepper has no period after the ‘Dr’.
I doubt the a taste can be patented, but the process of manufacturing that taste can.
In University we would make a drink that tastes like Dr Pepper, it’s ingredients were:
1 half glass beer
1 half glass coke (also made without just beer)
1 shot of amaretto
One would drop the amaretto shot glass into the beer/coke concoction, and then drink it as fast as possible. It did taste amazingly like Dr Pepper.
The point is I’m with whoever said amaretto.
Do not try this at home. (Unless you want to.)
Oops, should read “…without COKE, just beer”
Thank you.