#Dr Pepper shortage sends soda drinkers into a panic

The brand took to Twitter on Monday to reassure consumers that the bubbly beverage, established in 1885 with 23 unique flavors, would repopulate shelves shortly.

“We know it’s harder to find Dr Pepper these days. We’re working on it — hang tight!” the cola brand wrote on Twitter, adding that the shortage applies to alternative flavors, too, including their new cream soda version.

“Having trouble finding your favorite Dr Pepper product? We’re doing everything we can to get it back into your hands. That means working with our distribution partners to keep shelves stocked nationwide, while ensuring the safety of our employees,” read a graphic attached to their tweet.

Fizzy drink aficionados responded to the announcement with tales of their unslaked thirst; others shared incriminating evidence of potentially egregious Dr Pepper hoarding.

Meanwhile, fellow household brands came out in support.

“Welcome to the club. We feel your pain,” replied toilet paper brand Charmin, which has notably suffered the squeeze of pandemic lockdown stockpiling.

The cola cutback has been a result of increased demand for fizzy drinks, according to Keurig Dr Pepper, which told CNN this week that soda sales have “increased consistently over the last four years.”

Experts attribute the current soda spike in demand to the global health crisis.

“Beverages in convenient take-home packages like aluminum cans are particularly popular right now, and beverage company employees are doing all they can to make sure store shelves remain fully stocked,” said the American Beverage Association, in a statement to CNN.

It’s not just the beverage brands themselves, according to past news reports, but a combination of factors that have put soda in short supply. Suppliers of carbon dioxide, the gaseous compound that gives soda its bubbles, fell short on filling orders to their brand partners back in April. And last month, a deficit of aluminum cans for beer and soda was also reported.