Everyone loves a margarita. The iconic cocktail brings joy to drinkers, especially during the summer season. But if there’s anything more iconic than a margarita, it might be a Dr Pepper. This fizzy, sweet vanilla soda overtook Pepsi as the number two most popular soft drink in the United States in 2024 (Coca Cola remains in first place). Because both drinks have such star status, a TikTok trend featuring a combination of the two has gone viral, and people all over social media are debating whether the mix is worth it. This is the second time a Dr Pepper drink hack has taken over TikTok.
A user with the handle @timthetankofficial tried it for himself, garnering more than 280,000 likes (and counting). In his video, he mixes two ounces of tequila, one ounce of triple sec, and a splash of lime juice into a shaker, then tops it off with a splash of Dr Pepper. Does this TikTok trend ruin an already good cocktail, or does it combine two never-before-used ingredients for a perfectly balanced margarita? Let’s find out.
How delicious is this TikTok Dr Pepper Margarita?
TikTok user Tim The Tank loved the drink, saying, “It’s like a margarita has a PhD in partying.” However, some commenters said that the drink ceases to be a margarita once you add lemonade. After trying the admittedly unexpected combination myself, I couldn’t agree more with those commenters. For me, adding Dr Pepper to a margarita results in a cocktail that’s a bit too sweet and quite a departure from what I think a classic margarita should really taste like.
I can understand that this cocktail would appeal to die-hard Dr Pepper fans. However, because of its strong flavor, the core of the drink is the flavor of Dr Pepper combined with a lime flavor from the margarita. Plus, the brown color of the cocktail isn’t exactly appetizing. The problem is that the drink tastes more like lemonade than a margarita, which is only good if you’re someone who doesn’t like the taste of alcohol.
This combination might work better in a flavored margarita, especially a coconut margarita, which would pair well with the vanilla notes in the Dr Pepper. But if Dr Pepper is already your favorite soda, this cocktail could also become your favorite for happy hour at home.
