Robb Walsh tells serious eaters everything they could possibly want to know about Dr Pepper in a brilliant piece of reporting and commentary, including these facts: There are now three local Texas bottlers making the original Dr Pepper with pure cane sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup (which Walsh objects to just on principle). Visitors to the original Dr Pepper bottling plant in Dublin, Texas, can buy 20 cases for "personal use"Bootleggers and legit concerns are now distributing said Dr Pepper in convenience stores, gas stations, and even in upscale Texas grocery store Central Market Walsh had passers-by blindly taste both kinds of Dr Pepper. Younger people thought the original Dr Pepper tasted weird. Walsh himself likes to cook... More

Be a part of Jones Soda history by voting for the winning lolcat photo to appear on a Jones Soda bottle. And if you're desperate to use your own lolcat photo on a bottle, you can order personalized labels.... More

That svelte Red Bull can won't just contain fluorescent yellow stuff anymore—it could have brown liquid in there too! The brand is launching a "strong and natural" cola alternative with crazy ingredients like mustard seeds, ginger, cloves, licorice, orange and cardamom. Following suit of Pepsi Raw and Retro, this could be part of a growing "healthier" pop trend. Maybe I want phosphoric acid in my cola, okay, Red Bull?... More

The soft-drink giant asked researchers at the UK's University of East Anglia to test a theory that the fizzy drink might help prevent anemia in women: Sixteen women volunteers are being asked to eat cheese and tomato pizza and then drink Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, or mineral water to see what effect the drinks have on the way the body absorbs iron. Dietary iron deficiency can be a factor in anemia. Photograph from Meanest Indian on Flickr... More

Coke decided to relaunch Cherry Coke this month and they did it by hiring the design team behind Rocawear—hip-hop legend Jay-Z's uber successful clothing brand—to redesign Cherry Coke's packaging as well as creating that of the new Cherry Coke Zero. I think Cherry Coke's palette of pinks and cityscape are really pretty, but Cherry Coke Zero's packaging is rather clever—the same cityscape in black, and cherries with holes (zeros) punched into them. (You can read more about Cherry Coke Zero over at BevBoard or discuss it in our Serious Eats: Talk thread.)... More