Dr Pepper Creamy Coconut And Creamy Coconut Zero Sugar Review: They're Like Summer In A Can

The words "Dr Pepper" and "coconut" do not commonly share space in a sentence, let alone a can, bottle, glass, or in some cases, a plate. Sure, the odd couple have crossed paths before, in peculiar cake and cookie recipes of yore, at soda fountains or places like Sonic, where coconut syrups are just a squirt away from the good Dr, and even in "dirty" alcoholic home versions of the latter. With summer on the horizon, Dr Pepper is trying to capture the essence of the sunny season and fusing its precious liquids with a limited edition coconut flavoring.

The company describes its new Dr Pepper Creamy Coconut and its sugar free counterpart, Dr Pepper Creamy Coconut Zero Sugar, as a "delicious, smooth, creamy concoction." It's hoping sippers will agree, and say something to the likes of it "not only tastes like summer, it's better than it."

So, is this new flavor adventure by Dr Pepper a totally cool kickoff to summer 2024, or is it just a coco-nutty idea that deserves to be marooned on Gilligan's Island? The fine folks at Dr Pepper sent a can of both Dr Pepper Creamy Coconut and Dr Pepper Creamy Coconut Zero Sugar for an early taste, so I can suss it all out. This sip and review is based on taste, palatability, respect to the original 23 flavors of Dr Pepper, and overall lovability.

Some recommendations are based on first-hand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer.

Dr Pepper Creamy Coconut and Creamy Coconut Zero's cans are decorated with splashes of blue rays, which give off a sense of a coolness hopefully found within. Popping open the regular version of Creamy Coconut, I took a whiff and it smelled like a luscious bottle of suntan lotion. The Zero version mainly smelled like regular old Dr Pepper. I poured a glass of each. They share a blackened dark hue that looks like any standard cola. Holding the glasses up to the light revealed a black cherry color that's a bit more alluring. 

Starting with Dr Pepper Creamy Coconut, I proceeded with caution, wondering how a strong flavor like coconut would be able to play well with Dr Pepper. Thankfully my first sip came as a bit of a surprise at how mellow the coconut flavoring was. Taking a look at the can while I sipped further, my eyes focused on the adjective "creamy." This drink's profile in many ways is similar to that of Dr Pepper's Cream Soda, but perhaps an elevated version of it with this exotic flavor twist.

As for Creamy Coconut Zero, the coconut taste is much stronger, in an artificial way. It's less creamy and more biting, like most other diet sodas. Still, this Zero take on the standard bearer accomplishes what it sets out to do, even if it's not nearly as good as the regular.

Dr Pepper Creamy Coconut and its Zero version are both made up of carbonated water and less than 2% of caramel color, natural and artificial flavors, sodium benzoate (preservative), phosphoric acid, caffeine, and sodium phosphate. The regular version also includes high fructose corn syrup, and the Zero version contains aspartame, acesulfame potassium, and phenylketonurics, which contains phenylalanine.

A single can of regular Creamy Coconut is good for 150 calories, 55 milligrams of sodium, and 40 grams of total carbohydrates, which includes 39 grams of total sugars. The Zero version has zero calories, carbohydrates, or sugars, and logs in 60 milligrams of sodium. Both varieties are fat free and contain no protein.

Dr Pepper Creamy Coconut and Dr Pepper Creamy Coconut Zero Sugar will be available to buy for a limited time only starting in May, and will hang around on shelves until at least July. The two varieties will be available in 12-packs of 12-ounce cans, as well as 20-ounce bottles, while supplies last.

Dr Pepper Creamy Coconut and Dr Pepper Creamy Coconut Zero Sugar will be available at nationwide grocery stores, convenience stores, and various other retailers. Price and availability will vary by location.

When testing Dr Pepper Creamy Coconut and Dr Pepper Creamy Coconut Zero Sugar, their strengths revealed themselves in opposite ways based on their delivery mechanism. Dr Pepper Creamy Coconut's full flavor came truly alive when sipped out of a glass. The only thing missing was a slice of pineapple pierced by a cocktail umbrella, lounging on its rim.

As for Dr Pepper Creamy Coconut Zero Sugar, its coconut flavoring was a little too prevalent in a glass, and played much better when sipped directly from a can. The aluminum taste a can emits worked here to help offset its powerful artificiality, and deliver a smoother drinking experience in the process. Oddly enough, at room temperature, the Zero version is far more palatable than the regular, unleaded version.

On name alone, Dr Pepper Creamy Coconut doesn't exactly sound like a drink many people would run out to try. I myself had some initial reservations on this combination of flavors, but a simple sip quickly corrected my point of view. As the coconut aftertaste lingered in the back of my mouth, I felt as if I was wearing a pair of shades, thinking of bluer pastures, and walking along a beach in some exotic place within reach, like Curaçao, with this drink in hand. Summer has arrived early, and it just so happened to be bottled and canned for your portable enjoyment thanks to Dr Pepper and its new, and sadly, limited edition, cool coconutty concoction.