A zero-calorie drink named Dr Pepper Zero Sugar has hit Texas grocery store shelves. A spokeswoman from Keurig Dr Pepper says the drink entered the market last month and should now be available “at all major retailers.”
The drink comes in three flavors: original, cherry and cream soda. It’ll be sold in 12-ounce cans, 20-ounce bottles, 2 liters and half liters.
A statement from the company says the new zero-sugar drink “celebrates the one-of-a-kind taste of Dr Pepper’s signature 23 flavors.” Those 23 flavors have been the signature of the soda since it was formulated well over 100 years ago in Waco, and they include notes of cherry, licorice, caramel, sarsaparilla, molasses and more. Notably, the recipe remains a secret, and today’s Dr Pepper does not contain any of those ingredients.
Dr Pepper remains a beloved Texas drink that was first bottled at Dublin Bottling Works, located about 120 miles from Dallas. But that company hasn’t been making DP products for about a decade.
The hope is that this new product can “strengthen the trademark,” the spokeswoman says. The soda is now manufactured and distributed by Keurig Dr Pepper, which has a market value of $50 billion.
Whereas Dr Pepper is sweetened with high fructose corn syrup, Dr Pepper Zero Sugar uses the artificial sweetener aspartame.
Dr Pepper Zero Sugar does not replace Diet Dr Pepper, a spokeswoman confirmed. Both will continue to be sold.
“Diet Dr Pepper is here to stay, and continues to be a delicious treat that Diet Dr Pepper fans know and love,” says a spokeswoman.
Diet Dr Pepper and Dr Pepper Zero Sugar have nearly identical ingredients, starting with carbonated water, caramel color, aspartame and phosphoric acid.
Dr Pepper Zero Sugar will likely be a direct competitor with Coca-Cola Zero Sugar. That product was reformulated in 2017, when it dropped the Coke Zero name and became Coca-Cola Zero Sugar.
Dr Pepper Zero Sugar joins a crowded beverage market. Calorie-free fizzy drinks are booming, but it isn’t just La Croix and Perrier anymore; there’s sparkling coconut water, sparkling bevs made from actual rainwater, and even a “magical elixir” with hemp extract called Unicorn Tears.
Recently, Topo Chico released a boozy hard seltzer, and Coca-Cola has a new Coke With Coffee drink.
