The Road to Dr Pepper, Texas: the Story of Dublin Dr Pepper, by Karen Wright, was a book about the beverage, yes, but also about a small town and a family. Early on all advertising was word of mouth. Early on there was no caffeine in the ingredients. And, at one time, it was used in the making of moonshine! In WWII one family member was assigned to the medical corp because he had worked for a doctor ... and when he explained what Dr Pepper was (not who), he was still assigned to the medical corp! When her father and husband died, the daughter took over ... but since she had worked at every job as she was growing up, she did a bang up job. When all other soft drinks (including other Dr Pepper facilities) changed to high fructose corn syrup (it's cheaper) this little plant did not ... nor did it update the equipment ... instead, they used this as their selling point and offered tours ... it was a huge success. The formula is kept in vaults in two separate banks, and has never, ever included prune juice. ;-)

Here's something that would be a good read with the above book: Fizz: How Soda Shook Up the World, by Tristan Donovan. For me the first chapter was a bit dry, it's all about the chemical make up of fizzy water! After that though, it was a good read. At first medicinal, flavors were added to make it taste better (lots of them)! Soda fountains took over during Prohibition and soon became a local gathering place. Pepsi was the first to make short, 30 second commercials (radio), Coke managed to bypass the sugar shortage in WWII by convincing the government their product was necessary for morale. Soon there were many variations, including those with as much sugar and caffeine as allowed, to diet versions, to sports drinks, power drinks and so on. Not a bad history!

Then, move on to Sundae Best: a History of Soda Fountains, by Anne Cooper Funderberg. Fizzy water was 'natural' at first, but soon chemists figured out how to make their own ... then the problem became containers. Ones that wouldn't leak or break under pressure. As we learned in Fizz, a drink that was once a medicine became a treat and things just sort of took off from there. Early on the customer could pick a flavor, mix several, or ask for a 'don't care' ... that is, a drink that used up the last bits of whatever flavors were just about gone. Presentation (and delivery) became popular and the faucets got bigger, flashier, and more ornate (don't miss the pictures in the back of the book). Soda fountains then embraced that new fangled contraption known as the bicycle. Some even installed bike racks and sold repair kits. After the war egg drinks were popular. These required a certain 'choreography' to make properly and provided entertainment to the customers. At some point someone added ice cream. Soda fountains were a family friendly and respectable place to gather. Once just a counter, they expanded to include tables and then offer hamburgers, etc. Popularity dwindled as fast food chains with pick up windows took over. Too bad! There's a glossary of "hash house Greek" (the slang used for orders) and a list of the movies including soda fountains. Nicely done.

Reading Hermit With Dog