TikTok's Viral Pickled Dr. Pepper Review: A Cup Full Of Disappointment
Another pickle-centric concoction has blown up online, and this time it has roped in the Dr. Pepper drinking community as well. A TikTok video from user @mississippimemaw showing her ordering a Dr. Pepper with pickles has received 4.8 million views so far. Another recently posted TikTok video actually showing someone pouring themselves a Dr. Pepper at a Sonic and adding in slices of pickle to the drink has received more than 2 million views.
Similar videos have also been posted to the platform and have received millions of views as well. Some TikTok creators have deemed the combo a Southern thing, while others can be seen spitting the drink out in disgust. Mississippi Memaw herself says the custom beverage is something many people drink and that newbies shouldn't knock it till they try it.
I can't argue with Memaw's logic. As the official pickle aficionado of The Takeout (not an actual title), it is my duty to see if this pickle and soda combo holds up to the internet hype.
How pickles and Dr. Pepper taste
Although I do not live near a Sonic, testing out this viral drink is still fairly simple. All it takes is a can of Dr. Pepper soda (mini cans were all that was available), and a few slices of dill pickles mixed in a glass.
The two ingredients almost cancel each other out, leaving both tasting less than what they should be. The Dr. Pepper gives the pickles an extremely light sweetness that dulls their natural tang. For fans of the bread and butter variety of pickles, which tend to lean on the sweeter side, this combo might taste similar. I personally hate that variety of pickle and consider it an affront to the category, but, hey, to each their own.
In a similar vein, as I sip the Dr. Pepper, it tastes watered down, with just a faint bit of sour at the end of each sip. Drinking this is like drinking flat soda with a spit of pickle juice. In an attempt to let the flavors soak into each other and actually perform as the TikTok hype likely intends, I let the drink sit for a minute or two and swirled it around some more using a straw.
Unfortunately, this did nothing more than further confirm my feelings that this viral drink is just the internet running away with itself again. I would not waste perfectly good pickles on this concoction a second time.