If there's a bottle of Dublin Dr Pepper in your fridge, don't drink it — you are now the proud (and probably sad) owner of a collector's item. The Dublin Dr Pepper Bottling Co. that has produced the original recipe Dr Pepper soda since 1891 ceased production as of 5 p.m. Wednesday.
Dr Pepper Snapple Group announced that it had settled a pending trademark infringement lawsuit against the Dublin Dr Pepper plant by buying the Dublin operation and distribution rights.
Don't worry about your favorite Dublin Dr Pepper-braised ribs: DPSG will continue to produce cane-sugar sweetened Dr Pepper and will sell it beyond the original six-county territory, including in Houston.
As part of the agreement, the Dublin Dr Pepper Bottling Co. will change its name to the Dublin Bottling Works and will no longer produce the cane sugar-sweetened Dr Pepper, though it will continue to bottle other sodas including Nu Grape, XXX Root Beer and Big Red. It will also continue to operate Old Doc's Soda Shop and museum in Dublin, a town of about 3,700 residents roughly 74 miles southwest of Fort Worth.
Dublin Dr Pepper was sued by Dr Pepper Snapple Group for allegedly selling the Dublin Dr Pepper outside its six-county distribution area via its website and toll-free phone number. The suit asked that Dublin cease using the Dr Pepper name and trademark in addition to halting outside sales.
Don't worry about your favorite Dublin Dr Pepper-braised ribs: DPSG will continue to produce cane-sugar sweetened Dr Pepper and will sell it beyond the original six-county territory, including in Houston. The company is even continuing the distinctive 10-ounce glass bottle packaging, though there will no longer be a reference to Dublin.
"We want to thank our many customers for their support of our family-owned business during the past 120 years, and we want them to know that Dr Pepper is still a big part of Dublin,” said Jeff Kloster, vice president of Dublin Bottling Works, in the press release.