Diet Dr Pepper is HOT!

For about a year, I’ve been very into Diet Dr Pepper. I never drank it as a kid (or ever before this). My friend insisted it was delicious, and he was right. During the summer, I’d have an afternoon, icy-cold can of Diet Dr Pepper on the porch. It has to be diet. It’s way better than regular, and it’s not about the calories. The difference between the two is less of that “thick” syrup. It tastes lighter and more refreshing, and still has the deliciously different Dr Pepper Flavor.

Of cours,e the internet algorithm figured out that this is what I’m into now and started sending me a bunch of stuff: Diet Dr Pepper candles, Dr Pepper BBQ sauce, Dr Pepper beans (need all).

Then it served me a very interesting vintage ad and blurb on Instagram from the account @HistoryFeels: The story of the “winter warmer”  goes like this…

“In the early 1960s, Dr Pepper had a problem—soda sales dropped sharply during the winter months. Cold drinks didn’t feel as appealing when temperatures fell, so instead of changing the product, they changed the way people were told to drink it.

The result was Hot Dr Pepper. Ads instructed people to heat the soda in a saucepan until steaming, then pour it over a slice of lemon. The campaign positioned it as a winter warmer—closer to mulled cider than a traditional soft drink. Print ads, billboards, and in-store displays pushed the idea across the U.S.

It worked. Hot Dr Pepper became a recognizable seasonal novelty and stayed in circulation for decades, lingering into the 1980s. It never replaced the cold version, but it kept the brand visible year-round and helped stabilize winter sales back when soda companies were still experimenting with consumer habits.

It even embedded itself in pop culture: in the 1999 film Blast from the Past, Christopher Walken’s character still drinks Dr Pepper hot after living underground since the Cold War—a direct nod to the once-common practice.”

Added facts: Dr Pepper was created in 1885, making it one year older than Coca-Cola. Along with the amazing, printed advertisements, there were TV commercials too, with Dick Clark!  And

There’s a Dr Pepper historical museum in Waco, Texas – I want to go.

I had to try the drink, and you know what?  It’s a wonderful, warm, slightly bubbly caffeinated treat. The lemon adds a nice acidic counter flavor to the sweet soda. It’s a fun drink to try, especially when friends are over. It will spark a cool, vintage conversation, and it’s perf for a cozy get-together. The recipe is simple, just be careful not to over heat, you will lose the fizz!

Dr Pepper Winter Warmer

Ingredients:

• 12oz can of Diet Dr Pepper (regular also works)
• Thin slice of fresh lemon

Instructions:

• Pour Dr Pepper into a saucepan. Heat over medium until it’s steaming hot (160 degrees). Do not let it simmer or boil. That can scorch the flavor and flatten the carbonation.
• Put a lemon slice in a mug.
• Pour the hot Dr Pepper over the lemon and sip.
• For a large batch, use a 2-liter bottle and heat in a crockpot

Optional: Experiment with cinnamon sticks, nutmeg, vanilla or other spices, but try it straight up first!