This is a battle that my taste buds have been waging for the last several years. In High School I would have been proud to pronounce Dr Pepper as my favorite soda, but now the decision is not so simple.

Starting in college my affection for Mountain Dew began to grow. Cal State Los Angeles was a Pepsi supplied school, so there was no Dr Pepper to be found. Contrary to popular belief, Dr Pepper is not owned by Coca-Cola, but instead by Cadbury Schweppes. It is sometimes bottled by Coca-Cola, but they do not own the trademark. Thus, Mr. Pibb. This left only Pepsi products for this sleepy college student to drink.

Classes at 8 am were the norm for my first two years of college. Staying up late also became the norm, so a caffeinated beverage became necessary to stay awake in those boring business classes. Mountain Dew and I became friends, and a 20 oz. bottle allowed me to stay attentive. This marked the beginning of my love for Mountain Dew.

Over the years my favorite soda has been in a state of flux. When Mountain Dew came out with Code Red and Livewire it gave my Mountain Dew love more variety. The Dr Pepper variations on the other hand have been ho hum. I did enjoy Dr Pepper Red Fusion and Sobe’s Mr. Green, but both only lasted a year or two.

What I drink now usually depends on what varieties a restaurant carries. Lately though, when given the choice, I almost always pick Mountain Dew over Dr Pepper.