Here’s what AJ’s staff thinks and recommends

A new question has been raised in the “does that food belong to that taste” debate, this time combining the beloved West Texas drink – Dr Pepper – with pickles.

This combination started gaining traction online after a Mississippi woman posted a video of her Sonic order, a Dr Pepper with pickle slices in it, earlier this week. While the Sonic server didn’t ask the woman why she wanted such a thing, social media users did. Then companies started jumping on the trend.

One of those businesses is the recently opened Dusty Coast Sodas, 7924 Slide Road. On Wednesday, the store posted a promotion featuring their Dr Pickle and Lemon Dill-Lite drinks.

We at the AJ, rebelling against common sense, decided we had to try these pickle options, along with some non-pickle drinks at Dusty Coast Sodas. These are our thoughts:

Dr Pickle: Dr Pepper with pickle juice

Alana Edgin: When I saw this trending on social media, my first thought was: why? Why would anyone do this? Dr Pepper already has 23 flavors, why did it need a 24th? My answer: that is not the case. But for people who like pickle juice, give it a try. Maybe I miss the allure of the sour-sweet in this combination.

Annie Rice: Listen: I know there are diehard pickle people in this world. Unfortunately, I’m not one of them. This was never a drink that was made for me, but in the spirit of trying new things I gave it a try. It felt like I was taking a sip of Dr Pepper and then immediately taking a sip of brine from the brine. Maybe this drink is for someone, but definitely not for me.

Mateo Rosiles: I would consider this drink an indecisive drink. You want something sweet but also salty, so you made this. The flavor combination isn’t bad, but it’s just very unexpected and doesn’t work well together, but it works at the same time. Confused? Yes, I am too.

Lemon Dill-Lite: Pickle juice and lemonade

Alana Edgin: If you want to mix pickle juice into something, lemonade is an acceptable choice. Surprisingly, I liked this one. It reminded me of the times I was trying to cool down from the 400-meter track run and a friend handed me a shot of pickle juice. I would recommend this for the athletes out there.

Annie Rice: Again, Annie Rice is not a pickle person. But I love lemonade and thought this might be sweet and sour, like a twisted Arnold Palmer. No. It’s heavy on the dill with a hint of lemonade. Like the Dr Pepper Pickle soda, this drink may be for someone, but it’s not a drink made for me.

Mateo Rosiles: This is made for an athlete who needs pickle juice after a race, but doesn’t want straight pickle juice. It’s decent and if I were in a pool I would definitely drink this. I’d say give this one a try.

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Tumbleweed Twist: A&W Root Beer with roasted marshmallow and vanilla cream

Alana Edgin: This was my favorite drink we tried during our taste test. It satisfied the root beer float craving, without the ice cream. I would drink this again, although my all-time favorite on the menu is the Friday Night Lights, a Dr Pepper with cherry, vanilla and lime.

Annie Rice: This is a root beer float to take with you. It was such a wonderful sweet treat. As a kid, my grandparents always spoiled us with sweet treats, my parents said “no,” and the root beer float was also a top choice. One sip and it reminded me of that. It was so creamy and worth a try.

Mateo Rosiles: I loved this one. It reminded me of a craft root beer float you can buy at the grocery store, but better. I would highly recommend it to my dairy-intolerant root beer float lovers – this is a very good alternative, and I will definitely be going back for more.

Rattlesnake Kiss: Mountain Dew with Pineapple and Strawberry

Alana Edgin: I’m not a hardcore gamer, but I know several who like Mountain Dew. This gave gamers’ unofficial drink a pleasant fruit flavor, which balanced well with the power of The Dew. Warning: This won’t help you beat that one level you’re stuck on. At least you have a nice drink in the meantime.

Annie Rice: The pineapple definitely comes through in a way that I loved. It felt so tropical, and combined with the Mountain Dew, it feels like a panhandle vacation on the Gulf Coast, Florida. I had to stop myself from drinking the whole thing.

Mateo Rosiles: It’s not my thing, but I would certainly understand if I had a late night before graduation and didn’t want to drink Red Bull.

Sunset Sky: Sprite with strawberry, peach and watermelon

Alana Edgin: Sprite is a solid choice for soft drinks that can be mixed with different flavors. The Dusty Coast mix here gave a balanced, sweet summer feeling reminiscent of a Shirley Temple.

Annie Rice: This was now my favorite. It felt like drinking this drink if you were light on grenadine in a Shirley Temple. Felt so refreshing, thanks to the Sprite, and fruity in an addictive way.

Mateo Rosiles: It was hearty, but the soda was a little flat for me. I had high expectations for it, but it gave me a solid B+ assignment. I would definitely try this one again.

Ranch Refresher: Water with cucumber, watermelon and fresh lime

Alana Edgin: Lubbock loves Chiltons. It’s an inescapable fact, and not even Dusty Coast could break away from the Chilton craze. This drink satisfied the craving with a strong cucumber flavor. I recommend buying the sparkling water version to improve the taste.

Annie Rice: To be honest, I would have liked to have gotten this drink with bubbles instead of flat. I like the idea of ​​this, but it just felt very light in flavor. I can see this being a refreshing option on a hot summer day. But I think adding sparkling water would have improved my experience.

Mateo Rosiles: If I tell you if you like Chiltons or Agua Frescas, you have to try this one. The cucumber had a fresh, crisp flavor and the watermelon added a nice, subtle sweetness. This was by far my favorite, and I’ve already planned a trip back to get more.

Panhandle Punch: Sugar-free peach and sugar-free strawberry

Alana Edgin: I appreciate that Dusty Coast has sugar-free options. The inclusivity is great. As for the flavors here, it reminded me of a light version of a pink firecracker. It also had a kind of banana flavor to it, which isn’t my favorite. This drink could also use a stronger flavor, but I like strongly flavored drinks.

Annie Rice: On paper this sounds great. I am a health conscious person and like to have options everywhere I go. But the taste just wasn’t as strong as the other drinks. Maybe the sparkling water option would have made it better, but this just isn’t a drink for me.

Mateo Rosiles: If you want to get better at drinking more water, but don’t want to buy surgically flavored water or overly carbonated water from the store, try this one. It was refreshing, but the taste is very light in my opinion. It’s not my thing, but it’s definitely something I’d like to try again.

This article originally appeared in Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Pickle Dr Pepper at Lubbock Dusty Coast Sodas, Staff Reviews