The First Soft Drink Manufacturer in USA

Did you know...

The first carbonated soda manufacturer in the USA was Dr Pepper?

I bet you thought it was Coca Cola...
But Dr Pepper is one year older than Coca Cola.

Don't you just love surprises?

A young pharmacist from Waco, Texas, named Charles Alderton invented the first soft drink "Dr Pepper" in the year 1885.

He worked at a corner drug store by the name of Morrison's Old Corner Drug Store where Carbonated drinks were served at the soda fountain at the front of the store. Alderton invented his own recipes for soft drinks by mixing tasty syrups or other ingredients with the carbonated water and tasting them. He and the owner of the drug store soon found one of his drinks was becoming very popular. His customers originally asked for the drink by asking Alderton to shoot them a "Waco".
For several years, Dr Pepper was sold only as a fountain drink.

Wade Morrison, owner of the drug store changed the name to "Dr Pepper" after a friend (some claim he was the father of the girl Wade was in love with) who gave him his first job, Dr. Charles Pepper. Later in the 1950s the period was removed from the "Dr Pepper" name.

As demand from other drug stores with soda fountains grew, Alderton and Morrison had trouble making enough "Dr Pepper" for the customers. That's when Robert S. Lazenby came to their rescue. Lazenby was the owned of The Circle "A" Ginger Ale Company in Waco. Yeah, Ginger Ale is older than Dr Pepper. Lazenby after tasting, was impressed with this new drink "Dr Pepper". Since Alderton did not want to pursue the business and manufacturing end of soft drinks he agreed that Morrison and Lazenby should take over and become partners.

In 1891, Morrison and Lazenby formed the Artesian Mfg. & Bottling Company, which later became the Dr Pepper Company.


In 1904, Dr Pepper was introduced to 20 million people attending the World's Fair Exposition, in St. Louis. The same world's fair that introduced hamburger and hot dog buns as well as the ice cream cones to the public.

The Dr Pepper Company is the oldest major manufacturer of soft drink concentrates and syrups in the United States. What makes Dr Pepper different from other soft drinks...cane sugar. Dr Pepper is the only soft drink still made with cane sugar.

Oh, I almost forgot...the 10, 2, and 4 you see on the older bottles are the times suggested to drink a Dr Pepper to keep up your energy.