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01-25-2004, 04:06 PM
I found this article and thought I would share....
Later
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Just what the doctor ordered
Abilene bottler rejects syrup for Dublin's cane sugar recipe
By Sidney Levesque / Reporter-News Staff Writer
January 17, 2004
The luck of the Irish may have run out in Dublin: An Abilene bottler has co-opted the sugary secret of the towns special Dr Pepper recipe.
Ab-Tex Beverage Corp. recently ended Dublins virtual monopoly on Dr Pepper made with Imperial Sugar as opposed to corn syrup. While the news may fall flat in the Erath County burg famous for its sugar-sweet soda, it has local lovers of Dr Pepper all abuzz as if they have drunk the caffeinated nectar at, naturally, 10, 2 and 4.
"Im very excited," said Billy Bob White of Abilene, who loves Dublin Dr Pepper so much his grooms cake last year was in the shape of a bottle and flavored with the soft drink.
Ab-Tex is one of only four Dr Pepper bottlers in the world using the original recipe, according to the Dr Pepper/Seven-Up corporate office. The Dublin Dr Pepper Bottling Co. has used the original recipe which contains pure cane sugar since 1891.
Most Dr Pepper bottlers switched to corn syrup sweetener after Cuban products, including sugar, were embargoed 40 years ago. Sugar became too expensive for soft drink companies, and the process to dissolve it was time-consuming compared to pouring in liquefied corn syrup.
Dublins Dr Pepper plant serves only a 40-mile radius, so for years people have sold "black-market" soda in outlying areas for several times the original price.
Ab-Tex officials decided if the drink is so popular, perhaps they should bottle some as a special promotion, said Wayne Parks, the companys vice president and general manager.
A test run last month of 300 cases, or 7,200 bottles, of the Imperial Sugar Dr Pepper lasted two days. Since then, Ab-Tex has slowly increased production. This week, the bottler made 6,000 cases.
If demand remains high, Ab-Tex will continue to make it, said Randall Mostert, the companys operations manager.
For now, the drink is sold in six-packs of 12-ounce plastic bottles for about $3, a dollar more than regular Dr Pepper.
Dr Peppers made with real sugar have 3.7 percent less sugar than those made with corn syrup, Mostert said. Pure cane sugar naturally tastes sweeter, he said.
The wrapper on the nostalgic bottle bears the Imperial Sugar logo and a picture of a 10-2-4 Dr Pepper ad from the 1940s and 1950s.
"Its the good old Dr Pepper logo," said Tommy Cargile, store manager of Ansons Lawrence Brothers IGA. "Its a neat package, and it reminds me of when I was a kid."
Dublin Dr Pepper officials do not yet know how Ab-Texs entry into the sugar soda market will affect their sales. Interest in Dublins product will probably remain high because of the museum, bottling plant tour and the old-fashioned, glass-bottled Dr Pepper it sells, said Jeff Pendleton, the bottlers creative director.
"People make the pilgrimage here," he said of the 3,000-person town about 90 miles southeast of Abilene. "Its like Mecca."
What does he think of Ab-Tex using the same recipe as Dublin? "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery," he said.
Contact staff writer Sidney Levesque at levesques@reporternews.com or 325-676-6721
Later
*************************************************
Just what the doctor ordered
Abilene bottler rejects syrup for Dublin's cane sugar recipe
By Sidney Levesque / Reporter-News Staff Writer
January 17, 2004
The luck of the Irish may have run out in Dublin: An Abilene bottler has co-opted the sugary secret of the towns special Dr Pepper recipe.
Ab-Tex Beverage Corp. recently ended Dublins virtual monopoly on Dr Pepper made with Imperial Sugar as opposed to corn syrup. While the news may fall flat in the Erath County burg famous for its sugar-sweet soda, it has local lovers of Dr Pepper all abuzz as if they have drunk the caffeinated nectar at, naturally, 10, 2 and 4.
"Im very excited," said Billy Bob White of Abilene, who loves Dublin Dr Pepper so much his grooms cake last year was in the shape of a bottle and flavored with the soft drink.
Ab-Tex is one of only four Dr Pepper bottlers in the world using the original recipe, according to the Dr Pepper/Seven-Up corporate office. The Dublin Dr Pepper Bottling Co. has used the original recipe which contains pure cane sugar since 1891.
Most Dr Pepper bottlers switched to corn syrup sweetener after Cuban products, including sugar, were embargoed 40 years ago. Sugar became too expensive for soft drink companies, and the process to dissolve it was time-consuming compared to pouring in liquefied corn syrup.
Dublins Dr Pepper plant serves only a 40-mile radius, so for years people have sold "black-market" soda in outlying areas for several times the original price.
Ab-Tex officials decided if the drink is so popular, perhaps they should bottle some as a special promotion, said Wayne Parks, the companys vice president and general manager.
A test run last month of 300 cases, or 7,200 bottles, of the Imperial Sugar Dr Pepper lasted two days. Since then, Ab-Tex has slowly increased production. This week, the bottler made 6,000 cases.
If demand remains high, Ab-Tex will continue to make it, said Randall Mostert, the companys operations manager.
For now, the drink is sold in six-packs of 12-ounce plastic bottles for about $3, a dollar more than regular Dr Pepper.
Dr Peppers made with real sugar have 3.7 percent less sugar than those made with corn syrup, Mostert said. Pure cane sugar naturally tastes sweeter, he said.
The wrapper on the nostalgic bottle bears the Imperial Sugar logo and a picture of a 10-2-4 Dr Pepper ad from the 1940s and 1950s.
"Its the good old Dr Pepper logo," said Tommy Cargile, store manager of Ansons Lawrence Brothers IGA. "Its a neat package, and it reminds me of when I was a kid."
Dublin Dr Pepper officials do not yet know how Ab-Texs entry into the sugar soda market will affect their sales. Interest in Dublins product will probably remain high because of the museum, bottling plant tour and the old-fashioned, glass-bottled Dr Pepper it sells, said Jeff Pendleton, the bottlers creative director.
"People make the pilgrimage here," he said of the 3,000-person town about 90 miles southeast of Abilene. "Its like Mecca."
What does he think of Ab-Tex using the same recipe as Dublin? "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery," he said.
Contact staff writer Sidney Levesque at levesques@reporternews.com or 325-676-6721