I used to be a serious Dr. Pepper addict. 

A few years ago, I randomly fell in love with the soda and became seriously hooked; Dr. Pepper was a significant part of my freshman-year life. There was nothing else to do but consume an unhealthy amount of the best drink created.

On a spontaneous whim one late night after a tiring work day, a friend and I were on a mission to find the best combination in our favorite soda to start the night: Strawberries and Cream Dr. Pepper.

Crammed in the passenger seat of a red Camaro between my backpack, snacks, and the confined boundaries of the car, I was anxiously waiting to try this new sweet flavor—my standards were high, and I was hoping it wouldn’t be a waste of money.

To try with strawberries and cream Dr. Pepper, baked Lay’s was the safest option I chose: I’ve grown, and now I’m hooked on those chips instead of Dr. Pepper.

As somebody that operates on a whipped strawberry Rockstar and strawberry Altoids, a combination of my favorite flavors seemed to be a perfect idea, and it was. As terrified as I was for the flavor, its components were fruitful and satisfactory.

I loved the pale pink color on the aluminum can, which was a significant part of the experience. Under the lavender LED light in her room, its slate black and pink combination made for a beautiful design; however, the classic red Dr. Pepper logo paired with the elegant strawberry color is even prettier. 

Even better is the drink itself. It’s very close to the artificial strawberry flavor I crave every morning, both the zero sugar and regular versions. Dr. Pepper is a blend of 23 additional flavors like apricot, nutmeg, and lemon, and with the addition of strawberries and cream, 25 total flavors create the best flavor of the best soda.

As for my friend, she also enjoyed the drink as much as I did. Sitting on her bed with the ripped-open 12-pack and our snacks was an experience of collective emotions: relief, satisfaction, and comfort. It’s hard to mess the swirly taste up. From candies and drinks to candles, artificial or natural, strawberry-flavored anything tastes virtually sensational to me, and you can’t go wrong with anything pink. It’s my flavor of choice, so there was no possible way I’d hate it; I knew I was going to love it as much as I did.

After a long day of work, when a midday shift turned into a reluctant double, Strawberries and Cream Dr. Pepper saved me in the end. Even without ice or prior refrigeration, it was still refreshing to taste something this perfect. 

In the morning, after a long night of doing nothing, I found myself in a predicament where I didn’t have any water to take my Advil. Luckily, the soda is superior to any other in the way that it tastes fine flat and warm: an accidental perk.

Naturally, as an infamous Dr. Pepper connoisseur, the drink took me by surprise at how much it tasted as I’d expected. This is the only sugary soda I’ll sacrifice my health for.