Dr Pepper Dark Berry Is Back for a Limited Time

I’ve always admired how Dr Pepper keeps on battling in the soda wars. Even though Coca-Cola and Pepsi are obviously the Superman and Batman of the beverage universe, Dr Pepper never gives up. It’s always out there with new and interesting flavors like Dr Pepper bourbon and Strawberries and Cream Dr. Pepper. Maybe Dr Pepper is the Spider-Man of the soda aisle. But then what is Dr Pepper Dark Berry?

Is Dr Pepper Dark Berry back? It sure is!

What Is Dr Pepper Dark Berry?

Dark Berry is a variation on the original Dr Pepper flavor. Think you’ve seen this before? Yep, it first came out in 2019, with a tie-in to the movie Spider-Man: Far From Home. (See, now my Spider-Man metaphor doesn’t seem completely crazy!)

It’s a drink that infuses classic Dr Pepper with dark fruit flavors like black currant, blackberry and black cherry. Dark Berry was only on the market for three months following that 2019 launch, but it has returned, and as of May 1, you should find it on shelves nationwide.

Dr Pepper Dark Berry Review

 Dr Pepper Dark Berry comes in regular and zero sugar varieties. I sampled the zero sugar version.

First Impressions

Dr Pepper Dark Berry comes in possibly the most gorgeous soda can I’ve ever seen. It’s a rich blue marked with a white logo that almost looks silver. The cans I was sent to sample have the logo for the upcoming movie Jurassic World: Dominion on it. Maybe the dinosaurs are Dr Pepper fans?

The second you crack open the can you get a delicious whiff of fruit flavor. I’ve honestly never understood what “berry” means to food and drink makers. Why not say strawberry, or raspberry, or whatever berry you’re using? I guess because this drink combines numerous berries, they have a better excuse than most, so Dr Pepper gets a pass on the name.

What Does “Dark Berry” Taste Like?

I poured myself chilled glasses of three varieties: Dr Pepper Dark Berry zero sugar, regular Dr Pepper, and regular Dr Pepper zero sugar. When I first tasted the Dr Pepper Dark Berry zero sugar, I stopped, paused and checked that I hadn’t confused my glass with the non-berry version. Because … to me, Dr Pepper Dark Berry zero sugar tastes pretty much exactly like regular Dr Pepper zero sugar.

There’s that peppery Dr Pepper zip that tells you that you aren’t drinking Coke or Pepsi. There’s the buzz of flavor that’s not quite cola, not quite fruit drink. And there’s the inevitable aftertaste of every zero sugar soda on the market today. So where’s the wild rush of dark berry? The fruity scent upon opening the can was pretty much the best of it.

I wanted Dark Berry to have a fruity taste to go with that first-impression fragrance!

But I switched back and forth repeatedly between the Dr Pepper Dark Berry zero sugar, and regular Dr Pepper zero sugar, and just didn’t find much of a difference. I even opened another can of the Dr Pepper Dark Berry just to check. Far be it for me to say the emperor—er, the doctor—has no clothes, but are they putting us on here?

Final Thoughts

Do you like Dr Pepper? Then you will like Dr Pepper Dark Berry. Do you like Dr Pepper zero sugar? Then you will like Dr Pepper Dark Berry zero sugar. Because they’re incredibly similar drinks. I remain kind of befuddled as to how no one noticed this in testing.

Dr Pepper already has a rich, somewhat fruity flavor. So putting a dash of berry flavor into it doesn’t make it a completely different drink.

If you’re looking for something wild, a wacky soda that’s completely off the wall, look for one of Jones Soda’s flavors, like Berry Lemonade. But if you just want Dr Pepper with the slightest fruit edge and a really gorgeous can, then Dr Pepper Dark Berry can be your new hero. Kind of like Spider-Man in a slightly different Spidey suit.

Where to Buy Dr Pepper Dark Berry

You can find this flavor at any stores that sell Dr Pepper, including Target and Walmart. The price for a 12-pack looks to be between $5-6. Dark Berry will be out for about three months, so look for it on shelves through July 31.

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