Lubbock drink shop offers pickle Dr Pepper: Here's what A-J staff thinks, recommends

A new question has been posed in the "does that food belong with that flavor" debate, this time pairing the beloved drink of West Texas — Dr Pepper — with pickles.

This combination started gaining internet traction 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 did not ask the woman why she wanted such a thing, social media users did. Then, businesses started to hop on the trend.

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

We at the A-J, rebelling against common sense, decided we needed to try these pickle options out, along with some non-pickle drinks at Dusty Coast Sodas. Here 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 someone do this? Dr Pepper already has 23 flavors, why did it need a 24th? My answer: it does not. But, for people who love pickle juice, give it a shot. Maybe I'm missing the allure of the sour-sweet in this combination.

Annie Rice: Listen: I know there are diehard pickle-people in this world. I am sadly not one of them. This was never a drink made for me, but in the spirit of trying new things I gave it a shot. It felt like I took a sip of Dr Pepper and then immediately took a swig of pickle-jar brine. Maybe this drink is for someone, but it is absolutely not for me.

Mateo Rosiles: I would like to think of this drink as an indecisive drink. You want something sweet but also salty, so you created this. The flavor combo isn't bad, but it's just very unexpected and doesn't work well together but does at the same time. Confused? Yeah, so am I.

Lemon Dill-Lite: Pickle juice and lemonade

Alana Edgin: If you are going to mix pickle juice into anything, lemonade is an acceptable choice. Surprisingly, I kind of liked this one. It reminded me of those times when I'd be trying to cool down from the 400-meter run in track, and a friend would hand me a shot of pickle juice. I'd recommend this for the athletes out there.

Annie Rice: Again, Annie Rice is not a pickle person. But I love lemonade and thought maybe this might be a sweet and sour, like a twisted Arnold Palmer. Nope. It is heavy on the dill with a whisper of lemonade. Like the Dr Pepper Pickle soda, maybe this drink is for someone, but it is not a drink made for me.

Mateo Rosiles: This was made for an athlete who needs pickle juice after a competition but doesn't want straight pickle juice. It's decent and if I was at a pool, I would definitely drink this. I would say give this one a try.

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

Alana Edgin: This was my favorite drink we tried during our taste test. It met the root beer float craving, without the ice cream. I'd drink this again, though 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-go. It was such a great sweet treat. As a kid, my grandparents would always indulge us on sweet treats my parents would say "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 an artisanal rootbeer float you can buy at the grocery store but better. I would highly recommend it to my root beer float lovers who can't tolerate dairy — 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 love Mountain Dew. This gave the unofficial drink of gamers a pleasant fruit-flavored twist, which balanced well with the power of The Dew. Warning: This will not help you beat that one level you are stuck on. At least you'll have a nice drink in the meantime.

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

Mateo Rosiles: It's not my cup of soda, but I would definitely get it if I have a late night ahead of graduate studies and don't want to drink a Red Bull.

Sunset Sky: Sprite with strawberry, peach and watermelon

Alana Edgin: Sprite is a solid choice for sodas to be mixed with different flavors. Dusty Coast's mix here gave a balanced sweet summer feel reminiscent of a Shirley Temple.

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

Mateo Rosiles: It was solid, but the soda was a bit flat for me. I had some high hopes for this one, but it turned in a solid B+ assignment for me. I would definitely try this one again.

Ranch Refresher: Water with cucumber, watermelon and fresh lime

Alana Edgin: Lubbock loves Chiltons. It is an inescapable fact, and not even Dusty Coast could break free of the Chilton craze. This drink met the craving a with strong cucumber flavoring. I recommend getting the sparkling water version to up the taste.

Annie Rice: To be fair, if I got this drink with bubbles instead of flat I would have liked it. I love the idea of this, but it just felt very light on flavor. I can see this being a refreshing option on a hot, summer day. But, I think adding sparkling water would have elevated my experience.

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

Panhandle Punch: Sugar free peach and sugar free strawberry

Alana Edgin: I do appreciate that Dusty Coast has sugar free options. The inclusivity is wonderful. As for the flavors here, it reminded me of a light version of a pink starburst. It also kind of had a banana taste, which is not my favorite. This drink could also do with a stronger flavor, but I enjoy strongly flavored drinks.

Annie Rice: On paper, this sounds great. I'm a health-conscious person and love having options wherever I go. But, there was just not as strong as a flavor compared to the other drinks. Maybe the sparkling water option would have made it better, but this is just not a drink for me.

Mateo Rosiles: If you are trying to get better at drinking more water but don't want to buy surgery-flavored water or overly carbonated water from the store, then try this one. It was refreshing, but the flavor is very light, in my opinion. It's not my cup of tea, but it's definitely something I would like to try again.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Pickle Dr Pepper at Lubbock Dusty Coast Sodas, staff reviews