Which soft drink was created by pharmacist Charles Alderton in 1885?

The soft drink created by pharmacist Charles Alderton in 1885 was Dr Pepper. Alderton formulated it while working at Morrison’s Old Corner Drug Store, a soda fountain in Waco, Texas, where he experimented with a new combination of flavours for customers.

The drink was initially ordered as a “Waco,” but store owner Wade Morrison eventually gave it the name Dr Pepper. Its formula was developed before Coca-Cola became widely known, and Dr Pepper’s name was first used commercially in 1885. The drink was later introduced to a much wider audience at the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis.

Early advertising made exaggerated claims that the beverage could aid digestion and restore energy, reflecting the era’s connection between pharmacies, soda fountains, and patent-style health marketing. Another common misconception is that Dr Pepper contains prune juice; the persistent rumour is not part of the drink’s published ingredient description. Its exact flavour formula remains a closely guarded trade secret.