Throughout a chunk of the 20th century, we were in the midst of the "Cola Wars." (And no, we're not talking about the LEGENDARY tiff between Tab . . . and the Soviet Union.) (???)
Coca-Cola has been the clear leader in market share for DECADES . . . and Pepsi has been the clear runner-up. But that's no longer the case.
Dr. Pepper has swooped in and taken the title as America's #2 soft drink.
There are two reasons: The steady decline of Pepsi over the past 20 years . . . and the increased popularity of Dr. Pepper, partially thanks to TikTok and Gen Z.
Back in 2004, Dr. Pepper was tied with Sprite in SIXTH place.
In fact, in terms of market share, Sprite is ALSO set to surpass Pepsi in the next few years. It's trending up. (Sprite is a Coca-Cola product, but the market share separates the products. Dr. Pepper is its own company, although it's sometimes bottled and distributed by Coca-Cola AND Pepsi.)
Dr. Pepper has also released a lot of fun new flavors, but this ranking is just the REGULAR versions of these drinks . . . not the overall company portfolio.
Here's a fun fact: Dr. Pepper is one of the oldest soda brands . . . older than BOTH Coca-Cola and Pepsi. It was invented in 1885 by Charles Alderton, a pharmacist and soda-fountain operator. His syrup concoction combined 23 flavors, including cherry and vanilla, along with other fruits and spices.