Dr. Wham | Distant Cousinry

A friend of a friend of mine used to collect "Dr." drinks. I never met this man, but his legacy was spoke of often. Finding out someone had made it their duty to begin gathering these drinks meant a lot to me. It was inspiring. If I knew more about this man- this friend of a friend and lover of Doctor drinks man- I'd try to get him in touch with the Dr. Pepper Museum people. My ex-girlfriend and I stopped in this heavenly place two summers ago while in Waco, TX for my cousin's wedding. There's a large wall somewhere inside displaying many small enterprise "imposter" brands of soft drinks, and I imagine Dr. Wham exists on the shelf somewhere amongst them. There must be over a hundred Doc drinks hiding out there, both in production and long forgotten. Dr. Wham is the first I've gotten ahold of since starting this blog, unless you count Dr. Thunder (which is produced by the Wal-Mart corporation and I'll offer no support of, except in saying that it tastes mighty fine and can be obtained for under 50 cents the last time I checked.)

Dr. Wham makes me recall a simpler time; one that existed before you and I, preceding eras where colas became consumed several times a day. Sodas then were thought of as rare treats. They were enjoyed and sipped slow. That's how I partook of this one, and how you should too when you buy it on your way to work tomorrow morning. Now, contrary to my expectations, the flavor doesn't resemble Dr. Pepper all that much. More like a standard cola I'd say, or cola champagne with less citrus. Observe the delightful logo and packaging. Now feel cheated. The whole "Since 1926" thing is a hoax- the best I can tell. The drink is new. So why would they choose 1926? I couldn't tell you. D.W. is bottled by Buffalo Rock, straight out of Birmingham, AL (I've driven by the plant dozens of times) so I'm forced to cut these people some slack, out of my admiration for B.R. Under any other circumstances- like if the soda was bottled in Oregon, say- the slack might be left uncut.

I don't mind going to the doctor whenever I need it. Likewise, I experience no shame in throwing a Wham! record on the turntable whenever the urge might strike (once a year might still be more often than deemed socially acceptable). Though Dr. Wham is not the product of combining professionally-trained surgeons with eighties pop outfits, as a soda it's popping up in places all over the southeast. If you aren't from around here, I'll gladly FedEx you a bottle in exchange for some Doc Holiday.