One of the latest brands experimenting with bold collaborations is Dr Pepper. They recently teamed up with Tic Tac for flavor-inspired variations, and now they are joining forces with a well-known sausage maker for something no one saw coming.

A Classic Wisconsin Brand Meets a Soda Icon

Headquartered in Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin, Johnsonville Sausage was founded in 1945 by Ralph and Alice Stayer. Dr Pepper had already been around for decades at that point, so it is not hard to imagine both brands becoming staples in Midwestern households over the years.

READ MORE: Minnesota & Wisconsin Families Doing a Double Take Over New Great Wolf Lodge Treat

Fast forward to 2026, and the two companies are officially collaborating on a product that feels straight out of a state fair food brainstorm session. The new Dr Pepper Inspired Sausage and Smoked Sausage feature the soda brand’s signature 23 flavors blended directly into the meat.

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What Does Dr. Pepper Sausage Actually Taste Like?

One reviewer has already had the chance to try it. Kennedy Dierks from Allrecipes.com says the sausages do in fact taste like Dr Pepper. She noted that the distinctive scent was noticeable immediately after opening the package.

Dierks wrote that it tasted exactly how she expected Dr Pepper flavored sausage to taste, adding that Johnsonville really nailed the iconic 23 flavors. However, she admitted she tapped out after about six bites because it was too sweet for her preference. While she said the sausage itself was fine, the sweetness was the overwhelming factor.

Coming Soon to Midwest Stores

The new Dr Pepper sausages are expected to hit store shelves across the Midwest throughout the spring. That likely means Minnesota and Wisconsin shoppers could start spotting them at local grocery stores soon.

Whether this becomes a backyard barbecue staple or a one-time curiosity buy, it is definitely one of the more unexpected food collaborations of the year.

2026 Minnesota State Fair Grandstand Performers

Here is the schedule of all of the performing acts that will take the Grandstand stage at the Minnesota State Fair in 2026. As more acts are announced, we'll update this schedule.

Gallery Credit: Nick Cooper - TSM Duluth

The Largest Minnesota Wildfires In Modern History

While Minnesota has experienced even larger, more devastating fires like the 350,00-acre Hinckley Fire in 1884 of the 250,000-acre Cloquet-Moose Lake Fire in 1918, fires have thankfully been relatively smaller in more modern times.

Even though these more modern fires have been smaller, largely due to better firefighting capabilities, many have still been devastating and destructive. Here's a look at Minnesota's largest wildfires since 2007 based on information from the Minnesota Incident Command System.

Gallery Credit: Nick Cooper