Dr Pepper is a soft drink marketed as having a unique flavor. Created in the 1880s by Charles Alderton of Waco, Texas, and first served around 1885, Dr Pepper was first nationally marketed in the United States in 1904 and is now also sold in Europe, Asia and South America. Variants include a no-sugar version, Diet Dr Pepper, as well as a line of
versions with additional flavors, first introduced in the 2000s. W.W. Clements, a former CEO and president of the Dr Pepper/7-Up Company, described the taste of Dr Pepper as one-of-a-kind, saying "I've always maintained you cannot tell anyone what Dr Pepper tastes like because it's so different. It's not an apple, it's not an orange, it's not a strawberry, it's not a root beer, it's not even a cola. It's a different kind of drink with a unique taste all its own." The U.S. Patent Office recognizes December 1, 1885 as the first time Dr Pepper was served. It was introduced nationally in the United States at the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition as a new kind of soda pop, made with 23 flavors. Its introduction in 1885 preceded the introduction of Coca-Cola by one year. It was formulated by Brooklyn-born pharmacist Charles Alderton in