In America's soda wars, the king has always been Coca-Cola with Pepsi long standing in second place -- until now.
The runner up spot has been taken over by Dr. Pepper, which surpassed Pepsi to become the second-best-selling soda in the United States in 2023.
Pepsi, which has been number two since 1985, has been losing its market share over the past several decades while Dr. Pepper has been gaining, according to CNN, which analyzed data from Beverage Digest, a trade publication.
Last year, Coca-Cola captured a whopping 19.2% of the soda market by volume, CNN reported. Pepsi and Dr. Pepper were neck-and-neck but in the end, the peppery bend of 23 flavors finished ahead with a market share of 8.34% versus Pepsi's 8.31%.
Rounding out the top five sodas are two other brands owned by Coca-Cola: Sprite in fourth place at 8.1% and Diet Coke in fifth at 7.8%, People reported.
Dr. Pepper is actually older than both Coca-Cola and Pepsi. It was invented in 1885 by a pharmacist in Waco, Texas. The drug store owner named the soda after Dr. Charles Pepper, a Virginia doctor who was the father of a girl he was once in love with. The drink went from a regional favorite to one of America's biggest refreshments after being introduced at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair.