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Dr Pepper’s (original) secret formula (maybe)

‘Poking through antiques stores while traveling through the Texas Panhandle, Bill Waters stumbled across a tattered old ledger book filled with formulas.’

The Dr Pepper company says this ain’t it. Others think otherwise.

The formula in the ‘Castles’ ledger purchased by Bill Waters contains (among legible ingredients) ‘gentian root, sweet flag root, mandrake root, wahoo bark, cinnamon bark, cardamom, coriander, cloves, diluted alcohol, syrup, glycerin’ and is labeled, ‘D Peppers Pepsin Bitters.’

Like another pharmacy invention, Coca-Cola, Dr Pepper’s secret flavoring formula is the subject of much conjecture.

Time frame and location are all right. More info here and here.

The ‘D Peppers Pepsin Bitters’ page from ‘Castles Formulas’

The birthplace of Dr Pepper: Morrison’s Old Corner Drugstore, Waco, TX

1960 advertisement (top) found via Jon Williamson

Tags: cool finds, culinary, design history by steve
2 comments . . .

Pepper time

Right now I have no idea what time it is.

So I don’t know if it’s the right time to drink my Dr Pepper.

Photo found via Marc Gutierrez

Tags: culinary, design, photography by steve
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Italian soul

‘This track is the representation of GLUTTONY as being an obsession for the classics of soul music.’

Music video for Micha Soul’s Soul Food. Video produced by Frame24.

Tags: design, design history, music by steve
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Hello

Found via Martha Garcia

Tags: cool finds, design, music by steve
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Sweet meat

Plush cuts of meat. And more. Go here.

Found via Cheeta Fight

Tags: cool finds, culinary, design by steve
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Street meat

‘The sneakers, a pair of Nike Air Force Ones are called ‘Haute Charcuterie”

Meat shoes designed by Swiss design firm BlackYard, presented at Art Clash 2009. More info here.

Found via Modern Urban Style

Tags: art, cool finds, culinary, design, fashion by steve
2 comments . . .

Pork chop

‘It’s hand printed in black, red, and white inks on 100% post-consumer recycled kraft cardstock. Super glossy double hit o black.’

Letterpress meat poster, part of YeeHaw’s Butcher Shop Series – which also includes porterhouse, ribeye and New York strip. Order up here.

Tags: culinary, design, illustration by steve
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Steve’s Chow-Chow

Pennsylvania Chow-Chow was a mainstay in my family.

My grandfather used to jar his own and about 15 years ago, I went in search of the Official Family Recipe.

And it turned out, no one ever wrote it down.

So I ended up questioning my mother, aunts, uncles how it was done. Pieced together what I could and whipped up a large batch.

Designed some homespun labels and sent a bunch of jars out to the family.

In my version of the recipe, I keep the veggies crisp – which I define as A California Thing. I never understood the need to make cooked vegetables come out mushy.

My grandfather’s reaction was, ‘Oh, you’ll get it right next time.’
[Read more →]

Tags: cool finds, culinary, design, recipe by steve
1 comment . . .

Cucumber soda design

This finally made it on my radar.

Took my first sip this evening and I’m hooked. Low sugar, DRY cucumber soda. Bought a four pack.

Complete line of sodas include vanilla bean, juniper berry, lavender, lemongrass, blood orange and rhubarb. Website here. Blog here.

Brand design by Seattle-based Turnstyle.

Tags: cool finds, culinary, design by steve
3 comments . . .

Moonshine design

‘Moonshine now finds its first taste of legality with a recent state law in Tennessee allowing the distillation of spirits’

Of course, the ‘first legal moonshine in Tennessee’ needs some good branding.

Ole Smoky’s script logo was designed by letterpress specialist YeeHaw – with Ole Smoky Distillery owners Jessi and Joe Baker, Cory Cottingim and Tony Breeden developing the look of the mason jar bottle, label and seal.

The team at Robin Easter Design pulls it all together with a kick ass website.

More details here. Order here.