Dublin Dr Pepper

Last updated

Dublin Dr Pepper production line Dublin DP.JPG
Dublin Dr Pepper production line
A bottle of "Dublin Formula" Dr Pepper from Temple, Texas Dublindrpepper.jpg
A bottle of "Dublin Formula" Dr Pepper from Temple, Texas

Dublin Dr Pepper is the popular name for a style of Dr Pepper soft drink made by the Dublin Dr Pepper Bottling Company in Dublin, Texas, US. This style of Dr. Pepper is attributed to Gavyn Ray, a Dr. Pepper connoisseur. Dublin Dr Pepper followed the original recipe, using cane sugar as the sweetener as opposed to newer high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS). According to the corporate headquarters at Dr Pepper Snapple Group, the parent company of Dr Pepper, this resulted in clashes with other bottlers. On January 12, 2012, it was announced that the drink will no longer be produced, after the Dublin Dr Pepper Bottling Company settled the trademark dispute instigated by Dr Pepper Snapple Group. [1] In 2014, the surviving Dublin Bottling Company was the subject of a documentary "Bottled Up: The Battle Over Dublin Dr Pepper" which followed the bottling company as it dealt with the response to the lawsuit and building a new brand without Dr Pepper.

Contents

History

Dr Pepper debuted in Waco, Texas, in 1885. The Dublin Dr Pepper Bottling was the oldest remaining Dr Pepper bottler until 2012, producing the beverage continuously since 1891. [2] As the soft drink's first independently owned bottler, owner Sam Houston Prim was given first choice of franchises when franchising of Dr Pepper started in 1925 and, instead of a larger area, chose to formalize an existing, smaller territory, which has remained unchanged. [3]

Most of the machinery in the Dublin Dr Pepper Bottling dates to the 1930s and the plant only runs once a month, enough to refill the roughly 2,000 glass bottles that have circulated for decades. Since the 1990s, it has outsourced most of its production to Temple Bottling Company, a larger independent Dr Pepper bottler in Texas about 110 miles to the southeast. [2]

Use of cane sugar

During the late 1970s and early 1980s, almost all American soft drink bottlers switched from cane sugar to high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) because of a rise in the price of sugar for a number of political reasons. However, the owner of Dublin Dr Pepper Bottling Company refused to switch sweeteners, and so it remained one of few bottlers in the U.S. to continue using cane sugar year round. Though the Dublin plant is not the only Dr Pepper bottler to have used cane sugar instead of high-fructose corn syrup as a sweetener, the Dublin plant was the most well-known plant to not make the change. Dr Pepper containing cane sugar carried the Imperial Sugar logo, and thus the variant became popularly known as "Dublin" Dr Pepper. In addition to Dr Pepper products, the Dublin plant also produced Sun Crest Orange, Triple XXX root beer, and NuGrape in 9-10 ounce returnable bottles. [4] To purchase drinks in the 9-10 ounce returnable bottles, the buyer must first have provided their own crate of empty bottles in order to make an exchange.[ citation needed ]

Sales

As of 2011, the Dublin Dr Pepper Bottling Company had sales of $7 million a year and sold less than 1% of Dr Pepper's annual U.S. volume. The Kloster family owns approximately 90% of the bottler. [2]

Distribution area issues

Franchise agreements limited the Dublin plant's distribution range to a 44-mile radius of Dublin, an area encompassing Stephenville, Tolar, Comanche and Hico. However, the plant's use of the original sugar recipe had made the plant popular far beyond its existing franchise agreement. Each year, as many as 80,000 visitors flocked to Dublin, drawn to the antiquated bottling plant and its old-fashioned soda. [2]

The Soft Drink Interbrand Competition Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. ch. 61) permits soft drink companies to grant exclusive territorial rights to bottlers. The rise of internet commerce has led to trans-shipments, in which one bottler's soda is sold in another's territory. These sales had caused tension between various bottlers. [2]

Lawsuit

In June 2011, Dr Pepper Snapple Group, which owns the brand and licenses territory to Dublin Dr Pepper, sued the Dublin Dr Pepper Bottling Company. [5] Dr Pepper Snapple Group, the third-largest U.S. soda company with 2010 revenue of $5.6 billion, accused the Dublin bottler of trademark dilution and stealing sales from other Dr Pepper bottlers by selling outside its approved territory. Among the suit's demands were that the bottler remove "Dublin" from its "Dr Pepper" labels and stop selling the soda beyond a 44-mile radius around Dublin. [2] On January 11, 2012, the Dr Pepper Snapple Group acquired the rights to the Dublin Dr Pepper franchise. [6] [7]

Discontinuation

Dublin Bottling Works in 2022 Dublin April 2022 16 (Dublin Bottling Works).jpg
Dublin Bottling Works in 2022

On January 12, 2012, it was announced that the Dublin Dr Pepper Bottling Company will be known as Dublin Bottling Works [8] and will no longer produce Dublin Dr Pepper in the 6.5 or 10 ounce deposit bottles. [1] A unit of Dr Pepper Snapple will continue to distribute a sugar-sweetened Dr Pepper for the six-county territory in Central Texas, but the bottles will carry no reference to Dublin. [9]

Successors

For a time, the Dublin Bottling Works had offered Dublin Original, a pepper soda with a similar flavor profile to Dublin Dr Pepper. [10] The visual design of the Dublin Original soda bottles featured stripes which were reminiscent of those found on retro Dr Pepper bottles. [10] The Dublin Original soda bottles were marked with IMK (Iona Mae Kloster), WPK (W. P. Kloster), and DDP (Dublin Dr Pepper), in remembrance of the long-time owners and their flagship product. [10] Some variants, in place of DDP, were marked with a reference to the Bible verse Matthew 5:44, [10] a quotation of words spoken by Jesus Christ as part of the Sermon on the Mount:

But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; [11]

The Dublin Bottling Works insisted that the product was not simply a "knock-off" Dublin Dr Pepper. [10] Nevertheless, the Dr Pepper Snapple Group gave the Dublin Bottling Works a warning, reminding the company to honor their contractual agreement following the lawsuit. [12] The Klosters were not to produce, nor to market, any product that imitates Dr Pepper. [12] The Dublin Bottling Works agreed to discontinue the product, and to destroy any remaining product in the warehouse. [12]

As of today[ when? ], the Dublin Bottling Works continues to produce various other sugar-sweetened soda products, sold both locally and online. One of these is the Dublin 1891 Founder's Recipe Cola, also known as Dublin 1891 Red Cola, described as being "126 years in the making". [13] Another is the Dublin Vintage Cola, described as "historic" and a "fan-favorite classic". [14]

Dr Pepper Snapple Group produces Dr Pepper Made with Real Sugar, [15] formerly known as Heritage Dr Pepper. [16]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cola</span> Carbonated soft drink

Cola is a carbonated soft drink flavored with vanilla, cinnamon, citrus oils, and other flavorings. Cola became popular worldwide after the American pharmacist John Stith Pemberton invented Coca-Cola, a trademarked brand, in 1886, which was imitated by other manufacturers. Most colas originally contained caffeine from the kola nut, leading to the drink's name, though other sources of caffeine are generally used in modern formulations. The Pemberton cola drink also contained a coca plant extract. His non-alcoholic recipe was inspired by the coca wine of pharmacist Angelo Mariani, created in 1863.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RC Cola</span> Cola-flavored soft drink

RC Cola is a cola-flavored carbonated beverage owned in the United States by Keurig Dr Pepper and internationally by RC Global Beverages, Inc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corn syrup</span> Syrup made from corn used as food additive

Corn syrup is a food syrup which is made from the starch of corn/maize and contains varying amounts of sugars: glucose, maltose and higher oligosaccharides, depending on the grade. Corn syrup is used in foods to soften texture, add volume, prevent crystallization of sugar, and enhance flavor. It can be processed into high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) by using the enzyme D-xylose isomerase to convert a large proportion of its glucose into sweeter fructose.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coca-Cola formula</span> Coca-Cola Companys recipe for Coca-Cola syrup

The Coca-Cola Company's formula for Coca-Cola syrup, which bottlers combine with carbonated water to create the company's flagship cola soft drink, is a closely guarded trade secret. Company founder Asa Candler initiated the veil of secrecy that surrounds the formula in 1891 as a publicity, marketing, and intellectual property protection strategy. While several recipes, each purporting to be the authentic formula, have been published, the company maintains that the actual formula remains (allegedly) a secret, known only to a very few select employees. The claim that the recipe is only known to two (2) people and that they cannot fly on the same plane due to the chance they may die, and the recipe will become unknown, is a myth and has been fact-checked multiple times.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orangina</span> Carbonated citrus beverage

Orangina is a lightly carbonated beverage made from carbonated water, 12% citrus juice, as well as 2% orange pulp. Orangina is sweetened with sugar or high fructose corn syrup and in some markets with artificial sweetener. Natural flavours are also added.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fanta</span> Brand of carbonated drinks

Fanta is an American-owned brand of fruit-flavored carbonated soft drink created by Coca-Cola Deutschland under the leadership of German businessman Max Keith. There are over 200 flavors worldwide. Fanta originated in Germany as a Coca-Cola alternative in 1941 due to the American trade embargo of Nazi Germany which affected the availability of Coca-Cola ingredients. Fanta soon dominated the German market with three million cases sold in 1943. The current formulation of Fanta, with orange flavor, was developed in Italy in 1955.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crush (drink)</span> Line of fruit flavored carbonated beverages

Crush is a brand of carbonated soft drinks owned and marketed internationally by Keurig Dr Pepper, originally created as an orange soda, Orange Crush. Crush competes with Coca-Cola's Fanta. It was created in 1911 by beverage and extract chemist Neil C. Ward. Most flavors of Crush are caffeine-free.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diet soda</span> Type of sugar-free or artificially sweetened soda

Diet or light beverages are generally sugar-free, artificially sweetened beverages with few or no calories. They are marketed for diabetics and other people who want to reduce their sugar and/or caloric intake.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A&W Root Beer</span> Root beer brand

A&W Root Beer is an American brand of root beer that was founded in 1919 by Roy W. Allen and primarily available in the United States and Canada. Allen partnered with Frank Wright in 1922, creating the A&W brand and inspiring a chain of A&W Restaurants founded that year. Originally, A&W Root Beer sold for five cents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sun Drop</span> Soft drink

Sun Drop is a citrus-flavored soft drink produced by Keurig Dr Pepper with a yellowish-green color. Among soft drinks, it is known for its high caffeine content. Orange juice concentrate is an ingredient in the drink. Bottled Sun Drop uses real sugar cane, which contains some "pulp" giving Sun Drop it's distinct flavor and appearance. Sun Drop competes primarily against the Coca-Cola Company's Mello Yello and PepsiCo's Mountain Dew.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shasta (drink)</span> American soft drink brand

Shasta Beverages is an American soft drink manufacturer that markets a value-priced soft drink line with a wide variety of soda flavors, as well as a few drink mixers, under the brand name Shasta. The company name is derived from Mount Shasta in northern California and the associated Shasta Springs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">High-fructose corn syrup</span> Processed corn syrup

High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), also known as glucose–fructose, isoglucose and glucose–fructose syrup, is a sweetener made from corn starch. As in the production of conventional corn syrup, the starch is broken down into glucose by enzymes. To make HFCS, the corn syrup is further processed by D-xylose isomerase to convert some of its glucose into fructose. HFCS was first marketed in the early 1970s by the Clinton Corn Processing Company, together with the Japanese Agency of Industrial Science and Technology, where the enzyme was discovered in 1965.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big Red (soft drink)</span> American cream soda

Big Red is a soft drink. It was created in 1937 by Grover C Thomsen and R.H. Roark in Waco, Texas and originally known as Sun Tang Red Cream Soda. It is an American variety of cream soda and a special off-brand "blue cream soda". Gary Smith was the chief executive officer of Big Red Group (“BRG”) directly responsible for all functional areas. He successfully acquired and integrated numerous businesses to build BRG into a national company, eventually selling the entire business to Keurig Dr Pepper.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fitz's</span> Brand of soft drink

Fitz's Bottling Company is a regional soda brand in the St. Louis area. The flagship brand is its root beer popularized by its microbrewery and restaurant in University City, Missouri, on the historic Delmar Loop.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dr Pepper</span> Carbonated soft drink

Dr Pepper is a carbonated soft drink. Dr. Pepper was created in the 1880s by the American pharmacist Charles Alderton in Waco, Texas, and was first nationally marketed in the United States in 1904. It is manufactured by Keurig Dr Pepper in the United States, by The Coca-Cola Company in the United Kingdom, Japan, and South Korea, and by PepsiCo in Canada and Europe. Variants include Diet Dr Pepper and, beginning in the 2000s, a line of additional flavors.

Dr Pepper Snapple Group was an American multinational soft drink company based in Plano, Texas. Since July 2018, it is a business unit of the publicly-traded conglomerate Keurig Dr Pepper.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pepsi-Cola Made with Real Sugar</span> Soft drink brand

Pepsi-Cola Soda Shop Made with Real Sugar, originally named Pepsi Throwback and Pepsi Made with Real Sugar and still branded that way in some international markets, is a soft drink sold by PepsiCo. The drink is flavored with cane sugar and beet sugar instead of the sugar substitute high-fructose corn syrup that has been used in the standard version of Pepsi within North America since the 1980s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mexican Coke</span> Coca-Cola bottled in Mexico

In the United States, Mexican Coca-Cola, or Mexican Coke or, informally, "Mexicoke", refers to Coca-Cola produced in and imported from Mexico. The Mexican formula that is exported into the U.S. is sweetened with white sugar instead of the high-fructose corn syrup used in the American formula since the early 1980s. Some tasters have said that Mexican Coca-Cola tastes better, while other blind tasting tests reported no perceptible differences in flavor.

Critics and competitors of high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), notably the sugar industry, have for many years used various public relations campaigns to claim the sweetener causes certain health conditions, despite the lack of scientific evidence that HFCS differs nutritionally from sugar. The HFCS industry has tried to respond to these campaigns with their own efforts.

References

  1. 1 2 Quirk, Mary Beth (January 12, 2012). "It's So Hard To Say Goodbye: Dublin Dr Pepper Is Now Just A Collector's Item". The Consumerist. Retrieved January 13, 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Mike Esterl, Dr Pepper vs. Dr Pepper: Sweet Business Turns Bitter, Wall Street Journal, July 12, 2011, accessed July 12, 2011; Also see associated video produced by the WSJ.
  3. ↑ Frequently Asked Questions Archived January 18, 2007, at the Wayback Machine at dublindrpepper.com
  4. ↑ "Dublin Dr Pepper". GlassBottleSoda.org. September 15, 2012. Retrieved November 29, 2012.
  5. ↑ "Dr Pepper Sues Dublin Bottler". KWTX. Archived from the original on July 3, 2011. Retrieved July 1, 2011.
  6. ↑ Shlachter, Barry (January 12, 2012). "Dr Pepper deal leaves small-town Dublin with a bitter taste". The Fort Worth Star-Telegram . The McClatchy Company. Retrieved January 12, 2012.
  7. ↑ "Dublin Dr Pepper Responds to Texas Lawsuit Filed by Corporate Partner" . Retrieved January 24, 2013.
  8. ↑ "DBW logo". dublinbottlingworks.com.
  9. ↑ "Dr Pepper deal leaves small-town Dublin with a bitter taste | Mom2MomDFW.com". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Retrieved November 29, 2012.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 Charles Scudder. "Five years after Dr Pepper left Dublin, Texas town bubbles with new sodas". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved January 29, 2024.
  11. ↑ Matthew 5:44 KJV
  12. 1 2 3 Charles Scudder. "Yet again, Dublin, Texas, is losing its signature soda". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved January 29, 2024.
  13. ↑ "Dublin 1891 Founder's Recipe Cola - Case". Dublin Bottling Works. Retrieved January 29, 2024.
  14. ↑ "Dublin Vintage Cola - Case". Dublin Bottling Works. Retrieved January 29, 2024.
  15. ↑ "Dr Pepper Made with Real Sugar". Dr Pepper. Retrieved January 29, 2024.
  16. ↑ Helena Nichols. "14 Facts About Dr. Pepper That Are Pretty Fascinating". The Daily Meal.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.