THE OLDEST DR. PEPPER BOTTLING COMPANY IN THE WORLD: Here is Old
Docs Soda Shop where you will a Dr. Pepper the way it's supposed to be. All
the other stuff you come across is the cheaper imitation.
IS THERE A DOCTOR IN THE HOUSE?
You've never really had a Dr. Pepper till you taste the original.
Story & Photos by IRA KENNEDY
If you ever want to settle down in the 1950s you should check
out Dublin.
Visiting this community is like taking a trip back in time and, in their wisdom,
the folks there seem disinclined to catch up with the rest of us. |
 ow, like I was saying way back in the beginning of this tome, Ms. Intrepid had
a special reason for choosing Dublin as our destination. After considerable effort I
finally pulled it out of her. "There is," she promised, "a beverage at the
end of this trip. And I've already checked to make sure the place is open."
"Oh, really?" I perked up. Now here I was
pondering some dark, air-conditioned roadhouse with maybe a real long bar, like the one I
remember from my youth that was completely covered in Indian-head pennies. And some old
geezer bartender that still knew how to talk Texan handing me a cold longneck with little
chunks of ice sliding down the sides and...
"It's the Dr. Pepper bottling company.
The only one in the world that still makes it the old fashioned way with pure cane
sugar."
"Soda pop? That's your beverage at the end
of the trail?"
Maybe I didn't tell Ms. Intrepid about that portion
of my misspend youth when a juvenile delinquent-type buddy of mine asked if I wanted to
get a bunch of sodas and head for the drag races in San Antone. What I didn't know
he had in mind was swiping a bunch of free Dr. Pepper samples the company had left on
practically every front porch in a town best left unnamed. After an hour at the
races and about elevendy-dozen Dr. Peppers I was throwing up all over the place. Oh,
well... Dublin it is.
Once you're in Dublin you can't miss the factory cause that's where all the cars are
gathered around. And inside you'll find the place packed with folks lining up for
food, drinks and souvenirs. The good folks at the Shiner Brewery should take a page
from this operation. If you want a souvenir with Dr. Pepper on it just ask.
Want a case of the real Dr. Pepper in an old timey wooden case? Just ask. You
can even order Dr. Pepper by phone (888-398-1024) or on-line. Unfortunately I don't get a commission on this, but I
reckon this is penitence enough for my youthful folly.
After purchasing a couple of sodas Ms. Intrepid
hauled me around the block so I could get a shot or two of their mighty fine looking train
depot. After that we checked out the side streets and neighborhoods. I started
getting that parallel universe feeling all over again.
 If hadn't known better I'd a pegged the
year for maybe 1956 what with local pedestrians walking between each others houses like
they were friends and all. Little kids on bikes prowling up and down quiet streets
without a care in the world. Dublin is a pretty, clean little town and for a moment it was
hard to imagine harm coming to anyone there.
 But
facts are facts. The year really was 2002 and after checking the map
we found our trail and turned around at the Chigger Ranch Texaco station and the
conclusion of our journey.
PAGE
1: HEADIN' OUT / PAGE 2: SAN SABA
PAGE 3: DEMOCRAT & COMANCHE / PAGE 4: DUBLIN
PAGE 5: CLIFTON / THE
MAP
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