Dr Pepper UK & EU Comparison (Dr Pepper)

Member Name: Carysb

Product:	Dr Pepper
Date:	12/07/09 (59 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Fruity, Fizzy, Chilled, Tasty

Disadvantages: Sickly, Stains

This review is not just on Dr Pepper, it is on the differences between products from the UK and abroad, in this case England and Holland; because the difference is extraordinary.

On first appearances you may not notice that your lovely red can of Dr Pepper is not a UK buy, especially if you like I just assume that when you buy a can of fizzy drink it will be the same as the last one you had.

So what is Dr Pepper?

Dr Pepper is a fruit flavoured carbonated soft drink, made with 23 flavours after its creation in 1885 in Waco, Texas. It is made by the same company (Snapple Group) who produces 7UP, Schweppes, Sunkist, Canada Dry and many other soft drink brands unknown to the UK but popular in the US. As you probably know Schweppes is now also associated with the Cadburys brand. Aside of the traditional Dr Pepper I will be reviewing, the brand is also home to Diet Dr Pepper, Cherry Vanilla Dr Pepper, Diet Cherry Vanilla Dr Pepper, Caffeine- Free Dr Pepper and Caffeine Free Diet Dr Pepper. I believe that in the UK the caffeine free version is called Z Dr Pepper or something similar, but as I do not buy it I am not 100% sure.

I tend to buy my drinks in cans, usually in a 6 pack so I have a weeks worth, though I would stress that too many fizzy drinks is bad for your teeth and the caffeine isn't too good for you either. A regular can of Dr Pepper has 41mg of caffeine per 12 fluid ounces.

What does Dr Pepper look like?

The can which contains the liquid is a deep red colour with a splash shape across the bold write writing which reads Dr Pepper. The "Splash" has flares of a royal blue running through it but isn't that noticeable until you have the can in hand and study your purchase. The liquid itself is a dark colour similar to Coca Cola but slightly lighter and has a fruity scent to it. It is also stains temporarily and doesn't look too good when split over anything pale.

What does Dr Pepper taste like?

The drink is fruity, I was introduced to Dr Pepper as a teenager when the ice-cream van made its rare visit to my rural road and also carried dizzy drinks as well as dairy treats. The taste of a cold can of Dr Pepper cannot be beaten but to pick out the various fruit flavours is extremely difficult. If I was to try I would probably say I could taste almonds in it but couldn't be specific, as well as cherry and vanilla, it is well blended and unique in taste. I have tried to research the other 20 flavours but there is no concrete answer and just speculation on Dr Pepper forum threads which I would never know had existed.

So why am I making a comparison?

The above goes for my UK styled Dr Pepper, the cans I buy in all well known supermarkets or convenience stores. However the type of Dr Pepper I found myself purchasing in smaller independent branches such as sandwich shops and one off newsagents can taste remarkably different.

On further inspection my Dr Pepper is from Holland with the contact details being for a location in the Netherlands (compared to Uxbridge on the UK cans). The can is ever so slightly different in appearance in that the splash is not there; instead there is a lighter red line which seem to underline the words Dr Pepper, and smaller detail around the edges of the can. The font is the same and the "nutritional information" (If there is any nutrition in a can of Dr Pepper) can be found down the side of the can. However you will find that unless you speak and read Dutch you will not be able to understand much of the content (though at a guess its pretty similar to any other can). The taste is my main concern. Foreign cans of Dr Pepper taste different. That fruity liquid that hisses its way out of the tin as the cap is opened and the gas released is quite different to that of the UK version. Again I cannot put my finger on the differences in flavours other than it tastes rather old in comparison, not quite so fresh and the flavours I pick up are definitely different. The taste doesn't quite have the same effect and isn't as thirst quenching whilst everything seems to be the same and the almond-y, cherry, flavours do not jump out at you quite so much. Because I cannot read the can I do not know what the contents are, but there is definitely more in the Dutch version than the UK version and there is much, much more writing for ingredients.

I checked the best before dates on both my versions of Dr Pepper and neither expires before 2009, so whilst the flavours in the Dutch version may taste stale I know they are still in date. The prices remain the same for both types of Dr Pepper but their availability differs greatly.

Dr Pepper is also available in small and large bottles as well as in single or 6 packs of 330ml cans. Most supermarkets regularly offer buy one get one free deals on the Schweppes and Dr Pepper brands so you will usually be getting yourself a good deal on your 6 pack, however check that they are in English before buying because the taste excels that of its foreign counterpart. Try it, as the adverts say, "what's the worst that can happen?"
Dr Pepper is considered to be gluten free by its makers. But may contain corn gluten which they say shouldn't be a problem - it would be best to check this out though if you have any allergies.

Also on Ciao as Carysb

Summary: Refreshing carbonated fruit drink