History of Soft Drinks

Carbonated soft drinks date back to the mineral water found in natural springs - scientists discovered that carbon dioxide was behind the bubbles in natural mineral water.

Although claims for the medicinal properties of these mineral waters have been grossly exaggerated, the presence of carbon dioxide does make aerated waters and soft drinks more palatable and visually attractive; the final product sparkles and foams.

The first non carbonated soft drinks appeared during the seventeenth century. In 1767, the first drinkable man-made glass of carbonated water was created by Dr. Joseph Priestly in the United Kingdom.

In the year 1772, Priestly invented ‘an apparatus for making aerated water’, which he exhibited to the Royal College of Physicians, and upon which the college reported favorably.

In 1770 a Swedish chemist, Torbern Bergman invented a process that produced carbonated water from the reaction between chalk and sulphuric acid thus allowing a commercial production of aerated mineral water.

A few years later in 1783, Jacob Schweppes, a young watchmaker and amateur scientist perfected an efficient system for manufacturing carbonated mineral water and founded the Schweppes Company in Geneva. He relocated to London, England in 1790. Since then the addition of flavorings to aerated water has seen the development of major softdrinks brands throughout the world. To meet the need for carbonated soft drinks, the soda fountain was developed by Samuel Fahnestock in the United States in 1819.

However, it was not until 1832 that carbonated beverages became popular, when John Mathews developed his machine for carbonating water.

In 1798, the term soda water was first coined and in 1810, the first US patent was issued for the “means of the mass manufacturer of imitation mineral waters” to Simon and Rundell of Charleston, South Carolina.

The patenting of the Crown cork by William Painter in 1892 and the automatic production of glass bottles using a glass blowing machine by Michael J. Owens in 1899 were notable achievement that at last allowed carbonated softdrinks to be successful bottled without significant loss of carbonation.

Since then, development in closure technology, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottle production, can design and manufacture, syrup making methods, carbonation technology and filling machine manufacture have led to the worldwide beverage industry as we know it today. By 1920 the US Census had reported that over 5000, bottlers were in operation.
History of Soft Drinks

Dr Pepper soft drink in history

Young pharmacist from Waco, Texas, Charles Alderton supplemented his pharmaceutical duties at Morrison’s Old Corner Drug Store by serving its soda fountain customers.

Fascinated by the various carbonated beverages he developed a successfully new combination of flavors that patrons called ’a Waco’ in 1885.

He mixed the concoction of flavors as a beverage for his customers. Dr Pepper was served first time on December 1 1885.

The name of Dr Pepper came from the pharmacy’s owner, Wade Morrison, who was pining away for a lost love in Virginia, the daughter of one Dr. Charles Pepper.

Morrison hoped to impress the girl’s father by naming Alderton’s concoction for him.

In 1891, Morrison and Lazenby formed the Artesian Manufacturing & Bottling Company, which later became the Dr Pepper Company. Dr Pepper was introduced to United States at the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition as a new cola.

The Dr Pepper Company was incorporated in 1923 in Dallas. After moving to Dallas, Dr Pepper enjoyed fairly constant success among thirsty Southerners.

In the 1980's they merged with Seven Up, Inc. Corporate headquarters for Dr Pepper/Seven Up Inc. remains in Plano, north of Dallas.

The Dr Pepper Company is the oldest major manufacturer of soft drink concentrates and syrups in the United States.
Dr Pepper soft drink in history

The invention of Pepsi Cola by Caleb Bradham

Summer 1898, the weather was hot and humid. In New Bern, North Carolina pharmacist named Caleb Bradham began experimenting with various combinations, of spices, syrups and juices in search of a refreshing soft drinks to serve parched customers.

Caleb poured a sample of his mixture into a beaker and gave it to his assistant to taste it. When he saw his assistant’s face light up upon tasting it, Caleb knew he had created a winner.

His creation became so popular his customers named it "Brad's Drink." Caleb decided to rename it "Pepsi-Cola," after its two main ingredients pepsin and the cola nut and advertised his new soft drink.

People responded, and sales of Pepsi-Cola started to grow, convincing him that he should form a company to market the new beverage.

Caleb Bradham originally bought the name ‘Pep Cola’ from a bankrupt Newark, NJ, competitor for $100 and renamed the soft drink Pepsi Cola. In 1902, he founded the Pepsi-Cola Company in the back room of his New Bern pharmacy.

At first, he mixed the syrup himself and sold it exclusively through soda fountains. The business began to grow, and on June 16, 1903, "Pepsi-Cola" was officially registered with the U.S. Patent Office. That year, Caleb sold 7,968 gallons of syrup, using the theme line "Exhilarating, Invigorating, Aids Digestion." An artist and neighbor of Caleb designed the first Pepsi advertisement, and he was able to move his business into larger warehouse.

By 1905, demand for Pepsi-Cola had increased so much the Caleb Bradham decided it was time to offer Pepsi-Cola for sale in bottles. To facilitate the sale of Pepsi-Cola in bottles, Bradham issued the first of many franchise agreements.

In just six years, Pepsi was franchised in 24 states.
The invention of Pepsi Cola by Caleb Bradham

History of Barq’s root beer

In 1898 Edward Charles Edmond Barq opened Biloxi Artesian Bottling Works and next two years he produced the product later known as Barq’s Root Beer. It remained a family owned business based in Biloxi, Mississippi, until the company was purchased by the Coca-Cola Company.

By 1902, the name of the company had been changed to Barq’s Bottling Works.

The drinks popularity was unstoppable. By 1937, the company had 62 bottling plants in 22 states mainly in the South. The numbers peaked in 1950 at about 200, but by that time the "root beer" had been forced to undergo changes.

The first came in 1938 when the federal government banned caffeine in root beer. Barq simply changed the name of his drink to Barq's Sr. and then set about developing a caffeine free root beer.

When the government reversed it caffeine ban in 1960, Barq's Sr. disappeared, and the original recipe once again appeared, as root beer. This created some confusion about what to call the drink. Many had inadvertently called it Barq's Root Beer, but it wouldn't take long for the old man to gracefully straighten one out by saying "Barq's son. Just Barq's".

In 1976, John Koerner and John Oudt bought the company from the Barq family and moved its headquarters to New Orleans, and they started to market it nationally. To that time Barq’s was bottled in over 400 plant.

In 1995, Barq’s was purchased by the Coca-Cola Company, which expanded the line to include diet root beer. French Vanilla Crème and Red Crème Soda, and Barq Root Beer Floatz.

Coca-Cola did not have a significant root beer brand of its own and almost 90% of Barq’s sales already took place through Coca-Cola bottlers. It is part of Coca-Cola Company strategy of diversification and Barq then competes directly with A&W Root Beer for market leadership.
History of Barq’s root beer 

History of Soft drink Fanta

Fanta is manufactured by Coca Cola for international markets. It is best known as orange soda, although it comes in grape, lemon, lime and other flavors.

Fanta was born in the austerity of post-war Germany, when the Coca-Cola Company had to use sugar beet rather than cane to sweeten it.

The name Fanta was derived from the word ‘fantasie-getrank’.

In the period leading up to World War II, between 1930 and 1936, Coca-Cola set up a division of the company in Germany, and continued that venture during the war.

It recreated its image as a German company and allowed the Germans to produce all but two, secret, Coca-Cola ingredients in their own factories.

In 1941 the German company's president, Max Keith, developed and started pashing in a new fruit flavored soft drink, Fanta made from un-rationed leftovers such as whey and apple dressing, orange flavoring and all the German-made Coke ingredients.

Despite the increasing devastation caused by Allied bombing, for most the war the German Coke company maintained profitable annual sales figures of about sixty million bottles.

This ‘fantasy drink’ was marketed consistently as ‘a product of Coca-Cola GmbH’ long after Keith had patriotically directed the last cases of German Coke to wounded soldiers in 1942.

In 1960, Coca-Coca successfully established Fanta in the United States, Fanta.

Whereas Sprite was an American campaign exported around the world, Fanta has its strength in overseas market.

The Coca-Cola Company began marketing Coca-cola in Japan in 1958. As the market developed, it appeared viable to introduce additional beverages. Thus, Fanta was added in 1968 in Japanese market.

As leading global soft drink brand, Fanta launched a campaign building on overseas market positions and emphasizing Fanta as a fashion statement.

In 1979, Coca-Cola entered the Soviet Union with Fanta Orange Soda.

Coca-Cola successfully withstood both the anti-US boycott of US products inspired by the Al-Aqsa Intifada and the very successfully marketing of Mecca Cola as a regional anti-Coke by increasing the marketing of its Fanta brand products, which were cosmopolitan drinks not associated with Coca-cola or the United States.
History of Soft drink Fanta