Dr Pepper knockoff Mr Popper is a cult drink in Japan, but does it taste like the real thing?

The poor man’s Dr Pepper might not be so poor after all. 

Have you ever heard of a soft drink called Mr Popper? Here in Japan, it’s a drink that’s currently enjoying cult status after becoming a hot topic on social media, where people have been pointing out its similarities to Dr Pepper, in taste as well as looks.

▼ That’s because Mr Popper is actually a Dr Pepper knock-off brand, and it can be found at the Yamaya liquor chain.

When we visited to try the drink, it was so popular that it had completely sold out, with staff saying they weren’t sure when they would be getting more in stock. After several more attempts, and with our thirst for it growing every time, the situation remained unchanged, until one day, a month later…

▼… there it was!

Sitting on the shelf were one-litre (33.8-ounce) bottles of the stuff, priced at 149 yen (US$0.95) each and advertised with the slogan “An addictive refreshing sensation!” Buying any three of the sodas in the range (which includes a root beer that looks suspiciously like A&W) costs 429 yen, which works out to be 144 yen per bottle.

Taking a look at the back of the Mr Popper revealed it was an original creation by Fuji Canning Company, which plans, develops, and sells its own brand of soft drinks.

We picked up a Mr Popper and a Dr Pepper to compare them back in the office.

The colours and fonts, as well as the logo design, are undeniably similar.

Taking a peek at the back of the Dr Pepper revealed it was made by Coca-Cola Japan.

After admiring the similarities in appearance, it was time to test the flavour. We started by pouring the Dr Pepper into a glass, where we immediately noticed it had a minimal amount of foam, suggesting that the carbonation was a little weak.

When we poured ourselves a glass of Dr Pepper, however, a well-formed foam appeared.

Lining them up side by side, the difference became even clearer, with the bubbles significantly weaker in Mr Popper, indicating there would likely be a big difference in the drinking experience.

Our reporter Mr Sato was the first to try them, starting with the Dr Pepper, so he could get a feel for the taste. When he took a sip, a strong fruity flavor spread throughout his palate, along with a stimulating burst of carbonation. That was when he remembered that Dr Pepper is characterized by a stronger sweetness compared to Coca-Cola and Pepsi. So how was the Mr Popper by comparison?

“It’s incredibly similar to Dr Pepper. I don’t usually drink cola, so even if the contents of the two were swapped, I wouldn’t notice – I’d definitely fail if this were a blind taste test”

Fellow reporter and avid Coca-Cola drinker Takamichi Furusawa also tried them out, and he said:

“These are quite similar. Because it’s not so sweet, Mr Popper feels more refreshing .”

Finally, our reporter P.K. Sanjun, who often drinks Dr Pepper on overseas trips, also took a taste, saying:

“Wow, these aren’t just brothers – they’re more like twins.”  

All three of our reporters were surprised by how similar the flavours were, saying the taste was pretty much identical. It’s no wonder everyone on social media has been raving about Mr Popper – it may look like a cheap knockoff but it satisfies a thirst for Dr Pepper, which is particularly handy in a country where Dr Pepper can be incredibly hard to find.

Related: Yamaya Liquor Store, Fuji Canning Co., Ltd.
Photos ©SoraNews24
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