Dr Pepper Recipe

Combine 2 cups water, granulated sugar, brown sugar and corn syrup in a small saucepan.

Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring until sugars fully dissolve (about 4–6 minutes). Do not boil vigorously.

Reduce heat to low and simmer for 2 minutes to thicken slightly. Remove from heat and stir in caramel color. Set aside to cool slightly.

Prepare spice infusion

Place the cinnamon stick, whole clove, cracked star anise and a pinch of ground cardamom in a small piece of cheesecloth or a fine mesh tea infuser.

Add the infuser to the warm syrup base while it is still hot (but off the heat) and let steep for 10–15 minutes to extract spice flavors.

After steeping, remove and discard the whole spices/infuser. If any pieces remain, strain the syrup through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a clean bowl.

While the syrup is still warm, whisk in vanilla extract, almond extract, root beer (or sassafras) extract, cherry syrup, blackberry/black currant syrup, orange extract, lemon extract, lime extract, grated ginger, finely grated nutmeg, molasses, and salt until fully combined.

Add 2 drops (or the suggested amount) of herbal bitters or gentian tincture if using; this gives the slight bitter backbone found in many cola-style sodas. Taste and adjust: if you want more cherry or fruit notes, add up to an extra 0.5 tsp cherry or berry syrup; for more vanilla, add up to 0.5 tsp vanilla.

Allow the combined flavor syrup to cool to room temperature (about 20–30 minutes). Store the concentrated syrup in a sealed bottle in the refrigerator if not using immediately (will keep about 1–2 weeks).

To serve one 12–16 oz (approximate) glass: fill a large glass with ice (about 1 cup).

Add 2–3 tablespoons (30–45 ml) of the prepared flavor syrup to the glass — start with 2 tbsp, then adjust to taste. (For the recipe quantities above the yield is roughly 1 cup of syrup which flavors about 4 servings at 2–3 tbsp each.)

Slowly pour 1 to 1.25 cups (240–300 ml) of cold carbonated water over the syrup and ice, gently stir once to combine. Taste and adjust syrup level for sweetness and flavor intensity.

Garnish with a maraschino cherry and/or a lemon or lime wedge if desired. Serve immediately.

Leftover concentrate: keep refrigerated in a sealed container for 1–2 weeks. Mix with chilled carbonated water at approx. 1 part syrup to 8–10 parts carbonation as a starting ratio and adjust to taste.