Well, it's quite the story!
It all starts with Englishman Joseph Priestly, an 18th century scientist who was determined to find relief for those suffering from scurvy and other common fevers.
Consequently, he designed the first device to artificially carbonate water that he thought would provide medicinal benefit to the many suffering in England's growing towns and military barracks.
Although this treatment was ineffective, he laid the ground work for what would become the soft drink!
Publishing his paper on how he managed to fuse bubbles with air, others including John Mervin Nooth and Johann Jacob Schweppe (sound familiar?) caught wind of the magical bubbly process and decided to improve it and sell it to pharmacies.
At this time, soda water was still considered medicinal much like the green smoothies and powders of today!
Chemists began adding flavours, herbs and more to improve the taste and 'medicinal benefits'.
But there was one small problem that prevented softies from being manufactured and sold at scale - the bottle. There wasn't a great way to seal the bottles shut.
Dozens of different bottle, lid designs, and carbonation levels were tested to trap bubbles inside without letting the gas leak.
In 1892, the soft drink saving breakthrough came from William Painter. He invented and launched the 'crown cork bottle cap', and we still use the same cap and process on glass soda bottles!
This meant soda could be widely distributed, consumed and become the dominate beverage it is today.
More key moments in the soft drink history books
- Dr John Stith Pemberton (aka the Coca Cola godfather) perfected his cola syrup that he took to Jacob's pharmacy in Atlanta, Georgia USA in 1886, where the first glass of Coke was poured. Believe it or not, Coca Cola averaged only 9 drink sales per day in its first year!
- Around the same time at Morrison's Old Corner Drug Store in Waco, Texas, there was an incredibly popular flavour crafted and sold for the first time in 1885. Wade Morrison, the drug store owner, named it "Dr. Pepper" after Dr. Charles Pepper, a Virginia doctor who was the father of a girl he was once in love with.
- Schweppes Tonic water first became available in the 1870s. Throughout the years, Schweppes was never a stranger to advertising as their promotions consisted of newspaper advertising and even lit up Piccadilly Circus with a moving neon sign.
There you have it, a slice of history to bubble your beverage.
Cheers!
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