What Is Hot Dr Pepper?

The joy of writing about digital food culture is that every week — for better or for worse — I learn something unexpected. And my most recent discovery is a new-to-me beverage that I’m now skeptically optimistic about: hot Dr Pepper.

This warming drink was introduced to me through a viral video from Instagram user @morganchomps, which has now racked up more than two million views. Morgan makes hot Dr Pepper in her Crock-Pot, and the beverage is pretty much exactly what it sounds like: Dr Pepper soda that’s been heated up, with only one addition — sliced lemons. 

You’re probably wondering, “Why do we need this?” and “What hath the internet wrought?” but the comments on the video express a surprisingly wide variety of sentiments, ranging from, “That sounds terrible. I’m sorry” to “My grandparents had a pharmacy and soda fountain and we always made this.” One user accurately summed it up by saying “Came to the comments because I thought we were being punked. Turns out I’ve apparently lived in a cave my whole life.”

While the notion of hot soda might be appalling at first, there’s actually several decades of tradition behind this drink — and it might even make sense to add it to your holiday lineup this year. 

Legend has it that Wesby R. Parker, a former president of the Dr Pepper Company — now a subsidiary of Keurig Dr Pepper — came up with the idea for a hot rendition of the brand’s namesake soda in 1958 as a way to market the product during colder months. The idea successfully took off, and hot Dr Pepper was a popular holiday drink during the ’60s and ’70s, especially in Texas, where the soda was invented.

The reason Dr Pepper can work well as a holiday beverage is the same quality that sets it apart from other sodas. As its name suggests, it’s a little peppery and leans more into spices than some of its competitors. The classic Dr Pepper proudly boasts a proprietary blend of 23 flavors, which give the drink its signature taste, including notes of cinnamon, vanilla, ginger, nutmeg, oranges, and allspice — all of which happen to be common in holiday baking and seasonal drinks like cider or eggnog.

Every year on Christmas, my maternal grandmother Mimi makes a big batch of her signature apple cider in a Crock-Pot. It’s sweeter than most apple ciders, with an almost syrupy consistency and plenty of warming spices. And because it stays piping hot all day, I inevitably drink at least three mugs of it. (I probably consume more sugar in this cider than I do via all the holiday cookies I eat, and I don’t regret a drop of it.) I imagine hot Dr Pepper to be rather similar.

Carbonated drinks lose their bubbles quickly when warmed because carbon dioxide escapes more easily from hot liquids. It’s possible that the hot Dr Pepper might still have a touch of effervescence if you try it soon after you’ve heated it up, but if you keep it warm for enjoying over the course of a few hours, it will no longer be bubbly. And that’s okay because it makes hot Dr Pepper feel more like an entirely new beverage, which is part of the point — and you also won’t feel like you’re drinking hot soda.

You don’t have to make hot Dr Pepper in a Crock-Pot; you can also warm it up in a regular pot on the stove. Most “recipes” for the beverage recommend heating it to 180°F, which is enough to make it piping hot without reaching a boiling point. To complete the hot Dr Pepper experience, you need only one other thing: a lemon.

This libation is classically served with sliced lemon, and you can choose to put several slices directly into the pot, or pour individual servings over a slice in a mug. Either way, adding a touch of acidity is important considering how sweet Dr Pepper is, so I don’t recommend skipping it — but you could certainly use sliced limes instead.

If you need a more resounding recommendation of hot Dr Pepper at this point, I can confirm that Food & Wine Editorial Director Dylan Garret tells me it is “absolutely delicious, full stop.” He also suggests seeking out Dr Pepper Made With Real Sugar if you’re planning to make the hot beverage, because, as the name indicates, its recipe uses real sugar instead of corn syrup. As an added bonus, the real sugar cans have an adorable light green and striped design that’s reminiscent of the 60s. 

Holiday parties are so often all about the booze — and don’t get me wrong, I’ll never turn down eggnog or a glass of Champagne — but it can be easy to forget about having a nonalcoholic option besides water. Besides being ridiculously easy, the beauty of hot Dr Pepper is that its spiced flavor and sweetness do make it feel festive. So when you’re planning the menu for seasonal festivities, maybe add a liter (or three) of soda to your list.