I have a friend who drinks an X-treme Gulp of Diet Coke almost everyday. For those of you who don’t know, an X-treme Gulp contains 52-OUNCES OF SODA!!! It comes in this gigantic reusable plastic mug that’s roughly the size of my head. My friend puts a straw through the spill proof lid and nurses his X-treme Gulp the whole day at work.
Somehow I think drinking 52-OUNCES of Diet Coke, defeats the purpose of drinking Diet Coke. Then again, I’ve never consumed 52-OUNCES of Diet Coke, so what does my fat ass know?
When I first heard about my friend’s X-treme consumption of Diet Coke, all I could think of was him probably spending half the day drinking it and the other half peeing it out. Of course, probably the worst part of it all is the fact he fills his head-sized mug with a diet soda, which is currently only a notch above sparkling water in the taste department.
There’s a reason why the word “die†is in “diet.†It’s because diet sodas are the dead tasting versions of their regular high-sugar counterparts.
The only times I’ve tried diet sodas are when I’ve come late to parties and all that’s left in the coolers are a ton of diet sodas. I know they’re diet sodas because all diet sodas come in a white or light gray can. The reason for this is because dark colored cans absorb taste, while light colored cans reflect it.
So because I’m late to these parties, I have to drink a diet soda, because the only other options are the melted ice in the coolers and the garden hose that the dog also drinks from.
Now when I drink a diet soda my face puckers up with every sip. It’s like the magic potion that turns me into Camilla Parker Bowles. Oh wait, she’s now called The Duchess of Cornwall. My bad.
Anyway, my face usually doesn’t make babies cry or mirrors crack, but when I grimace from drinking a diet soda, it’s almost guaranteed.
So it was with some trepidation, that I picked up a Diet Cherry Vanilla Dr Pepper from the convenience store down the street. I really wanted to pick up the Pepsi Holiday Spice that was in the refrigerated case, but I thought it would be best if I not, because I don’t know how long they’ve been there, since holiday season is waaay over.
When I got home, I prepared myself for the diet soda by covering all the mirrors and making sure I had no illegitimate babies in the apartment. However, after drinking it, I realized that all those preparations were unnecessary.
It turned out that it’s possible to make a diet soda that actually tastes good.
Yahtzee!
With the Diet Cherry Vanilla Dr Pepper, I could definitely taste the Dr Pepper and I could taste the cherries. However, as for the vanilla, it just wasn’t there, which disappointed me because having it would’ve probably made this soda even better.
Since I liked it so much, I decided to buy more bottles, but when I went back the next day to the convenience store, they were sold out. Which probably means other people like it or my friend likes it and decided to buy the rest of the stock so that he could fill his X-treme Gulp mug for a while.
I was thinking about giving Diet Cherry Vanilla Dr Pepper a 3 rating, but for being the best diet soda I’ve ever had and for not making me look like someone Prince Charles would kiss, I gave it a 4 rating.
Now if they ever have Diet Cherry Vanilla Dr Pepper available at the convenience store’s soda fountain, I think purchasing an X-treme Gulp of it is in my future.
Item: Diet Cherry Vanilla Dr Pepper
Purchase Price: $1.29
Rating: 8 out of 10
Pros: Best diet soda I’ve ever tasted. Zero-calories. Zero-carbs. Doesn’t make me look like The Duchess of Cornwall.
Cons: No vanilla flavor. Contains phenylalanine. Took forever for a store here to have it in stock.
Yeah it’s a decent drink. I kinda think it tastes like regular cherry coke. I need to do a side by side comparison one day. It’s strange how they didn’t come out w/ a non diet version of this drink. Also, you guys get some good stuff before us. I’ve checked a bunch of supermarkets (in VA) and I can’t find that Marshmallow popcorn you had. Did get the cinnabun one, haven’t tried it yet though.
This, by far, is my favorite drink. I am probably the person who caused the drinks to sell out.
This is the only Diet drink that i will even think about drinking. I love it and i agree it does need more vanilla flavor. They should ban all other diet sodas and just keep this one. Since they are all flavorless anyway we won’t miss much. Yahtzee!!!!!
Dude, it comes in a non-diet version as well, which tastes that much better than the diet form.
Well dude, they only adverstise on tv for diet and that’s all I’ve seen in stores. After checking their site the non diet is only available in Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Kansas, Florida, Missouri, Tennessee, and Georgia. I don’t live in any of those states. So I’m outta luck. Wanna mail me one?
mmmm, that sounds good. don’t feel too out of the loop over there on the giant rock…I live in PA and didn’t know they made Diet Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper. Holy shit is that a long title…DCVDP…Ordering it would be the hardest part!
I’ve had the regular version in Ohio- maybe it’s no longer there. I didn’t like it too much anyway.
I don’t drink diet soda. I can always taste that weird fake flavor that reminds me of toothpaste. But you promise this one doesn’t taste like dead soda, so I will try it. It better be good, or I am coming after you with cases of fresca.
I only drink soda if I’m eating out and dont feel like alcohol (because German water is ICKY – as previously discussed), and I doubt this will make it to the menu of my favorite little restaraunt here. But maybe in two and a half years when we come back state-side I’ll give it a shot. Regardless, another great review.
This is interesting, because I’m a diet-soda-only person (I can’t stand that squeaky feeling non-diet gives my teeth. Ew.), and I thought that that this Diet Dr. Pepper Cherry Vanilla Way Too Many Words drink was the foulest I’ve ever tasted. I managed two sips before I tossed the bottle in the trash. I thought it tasted like a chemical spill. But maybe it just tasted like non-diet soda, and that’s why all you non-diet types don’t know that it’s awful.
Dr. Pepper love is a weird texas thing. It’s always the first to run out at parties, barbecues, etc. Diet Dr. Pepper is the best drink ever made. I love it.
I hope you can spare a kidney when you friend ruins his with the 52-ounce big gulps. *shudder*
I wonder how many more adjectives they will try to cram onto the label before resorting to acronyms.
LCDCVDPB Low-carb diet cherry vanilla dr. pepper beverage.
I’m a marketing genius!
I Agree This Is A Good Drink,
But Don’t Waste Your Time Trying The Pepsi Holiday Spice.
I like regular DDP but I haven’t seen this flavor yet. Speaking as a diet soda junkie (your friend only drinks 52 ounces of it a day? He’s a LIGHTWEIGHT.) I always like trying new flavors, so thanks for doing this review and letting me know about it. I drink diet soda mainly for the caffiene, myself. It’s a good thing that it’s available, even if it has phenylalanine in it, since if I drank this much regular soda, I’d probably be a 350-pound diabetic by now.
Archebaldo – Yeah, it’s strange that they didn’t come out with the regular version of this soda. You would think they would introduce a regular version and let people get hooked on it. So when they start to feel guilty about drinking the regular version, Dr Pepper can introduce the diet version and they won’t lose any customers.
Goldberry – Maybe you need an X-treme Gulp mug.
Becky – Yahtzee!!!
Brandon – It took four months for the diet version to get here, I’m afraid I probably won’t be trying the regular version until 2006.
Archebaldo – Man, what’s up with that? It’s like me wanting to watch the new movie Kung Fu Hustle, but right now it’s only showing the NY and LA.
Webmiztris – I think you need to watch more commercials. That’s how I learn about all the new products and waste my life away.
Artnchicken – Well hopefully we’ll get it here some day. If not, I guess I have to go search for the diet version to get my Cherry Vanilla Dr Pepper fix.
herkimer – Um, I kind of like Fresca.
Megan – I hope it’s still around in two and a half years, but it’s good so it probably will.
Eliza – Oh man, what a waste of Diet Cherry Vanilla Dr Pepper. Could you pull it out of the trash for me? 🙂
kt – LCDCVDPB would be hard to try to fit on a label.
Damon – But I like Pepsi Holiday Spice. I really do.
Chuck – If you’ve seen my friend, he’s no lightweight, if you know what I mean. (If particular friend is reading this, I’m not talking about you, I’m talking about someone else who drinks a lot Diet Coke.)
I like it too! But I really LOVE the Pepsi Holiday Spice! It hasn’t been around here for awhile.
You are too much!!!
drama mama – Yeah, I like Pepsi Holiday Spice. I think the stock at the convenience store is the original one from Christmas.
Becky – No, my gut is too much. 🙂
I am a diet soda addict. I live on diet sodas and junk food. I tried the diet cherry vanilla DP as soon as I could find one, and oohhhh…I just wish it was available in caffeine free. Why is it my favorites aren’t available caffeine free? the freaking soda world hates me, that’s why!
Oh. Um. Sorry… but I love this drink muchly 🙂
I’m just recently getting into diet sodas, most of them taste like crap but this one sounds really good. Thanks for the review and I’m going to look for diet cherry vanilla dr. pepper the next time I go to the store.
Thumper – Oh, caffeine is the drug that fuels the temple I call my body.
Tommy – Good luck with that. Hopefully you find some, because I’m having a hard time finding them.
That face you make when you drink diet sodas reminds me of “BITTER BEER FACE!” from those beer commercials a few years ago. Can’t remember the name of the beer, but those commercials were funny.
rfduck – I think the Bitter Beer Face commercials were for Keystone Beer and yes, I do get Bitter Diet Soda Face. You think I’m homely now, see me after I drink a Diet Coke.
DDP is my addiction. Esp. DDP over crushed ice – I could live on that. (OK, not literally, what with not having any vitamins or calories or anything.) The absolute best thing about living in Atlanta was that there’s a chain of gas stations/convenience stores with a fountain soda selection that puts 7-11 to shame. I could get DDP with crushed ice on tap, and it was beautiful. Then a couple years ago, they introduced flavored fountain syrup adds, cherry and vanilla. So I’d basically been mixing this myself down at the QuikTrip. Except I usually just stuck to the vanilla. Pure delight.
And, for what it’s worth, we didn’t get our Girl Scout cookies (in VA) until months after I’d read your review of them, so that’s another product you got first. Though it’s not like they were exactly a “new” product, so whether or not that counts is debatable.
it’s decent stuff
I’m not big on Diet Soda either, but since I’ve been trying to low-carb it lately I’ve been drinking it more often since I can’t stand the taste of water (what taste you ask?.. My point exactly!) I’m digging this DC/VDP though, though I don’t think it’s a HUGE difference from regular diet Dr. Pepper with slightly more hint of fruity cherry and luckily not much of the very over-rated and abused Vanilla flavoring going around (so sick of vanilla, it makes me want to puke).
One of the biggest problems I have with Diet soda (any kind) is the pungent taste of sodium overkill. I often wonder if I’m damaging my liver by drinking the stuff.
I’m new to the site, and think I’m going to become an addict.
I finally found one here in NYC. It’s definitely better than most diet, but I’m not sure if I can finish a glass of it. I will do my best. I promise that there will be no fresca assault on the reviewer.
Djinna – The 7-11 down the street also has syrup you can add to your soda, but I’m a purist, so I’ll just keep adding rum to my Coke. Also, your fountain soda selection may be bigger than my 7-11, but my 7-11 has more panhandlers and smells worse. Beat that.
Master Foley – …for a diet soda.
DeMiGoBLiN – Yeah, vanilla seems to be the flavor of the month for everything. Why don’t they just make a vanilla soda already? I’d buy that, unless it only came in a diet form. Oh yeah, welcome to The Impulsive Buy.
herkimer – But like I said, I actually like Fresca. So a Fresca assault wouldn’t be so bad. But if there was a Tab assault, OH IT’S ON!!!
I can only find it about every third time I go to the store. And I really like it but I don’t think it tastes all that different from regular Diet Dr. Pepper (which I’m addicted to)
PaintingChef – Went back to the convenience store and they had a whole lot in stock. Sweet.