The Dr Pepper Flavor You Should Really Avoid Buying

There's nothing quite like a good, fizzy soda — freshly opened, taken straight out of the fridge. It always hits the spot, especially after a satisfying meal, during game night with the gang, or after being ambushed by a peak summer afternoon. And if we're talking about the most beloved sugar in a can, Dr Pepper is one soda that a lot of Americans find impossible to overlook. It's actually the second most popular soda in the United States, sharing the position with Pepsi, and only losing out on the top spot to the world-conquering Coke. Dr Pepper enthusiasts can even bask in one incredibly special Texas museum if they want to take their fandom to the next level. Imagine a museum dedicated to just a soft drink — that's how iconic it is. 

While it has a lot of different, exciting variations, when Chowhound ranked 11 Dr Pepper flavors, one stood out, and not in a good way: the Zero Sugar Strawberries & Cream variety. The lack of sugar makes it taste bland and underwhelming, as the dull flavors can't hide behind layers and layers of sugar, unlike other variations. It's not that there isn't any sweetener; this drink contains aspartame, which is commonly found in many gums and drinks, and acesulfame potassium, usually used in pastries — but it doesn't hit the same compared to actual sugar. The artificial flavoring becomes even more apparent with every sip. Of course, we aren't really expecting fresh strawberries, but we just couldn't get past the synthetic taste.

The Zero Sugar Strawberries & Cream is a newer addition to Dr Pepper's range of impressively diverse flavors, having initially been released in 2023, but would it have been better if this particular flavor remained in the vault? It does sound intriguing, we'll give them that. One might even expect it to be kind of similar to a float, which is basically just root beer or soda with a scoop of ice cream. While the name is where the similarities end, it does give us a good idea to improve this otherwise dull drink: Use it as one of the sodas to try in a float instead of root beer. 

Just pour it into a glass and then add a full, creamy scoop of vanilla ice cream. The sweetness from the vanilla could salvage Dr Pepper's worst flavor. It might also help mask the artificial taste, making it easier to enjoy. If we were to focus solely on the taste, Dr Pepper's Zero Sugar Strawberries & Cream doesn't hold a candle to the Cherry, which came in at No. 1 in our ranking. But, at the end of the day, everyone has different tastes, so you might even enjoy it enough to buy a whole pack. Otherwise, you can just make a strawberry and cream float with it.