Soft Drinks History

Soft drinks as we know them today have existed only for the past century, but their roots trace back to ancient times. Soft drinks evolved from mineral water to carbonated sodas to mass-produced drinks of every flavor imaginable. Many popular soft drinks were invented by pharmacists. Throughout the 20th century, the leaders of the soft-drink industry were Coca-Cola and Pepsi. Add this to my Recipe Box.

Pop Roots

Before the 17th century, the closest thing to carbonated soft drinks was natural mineral water going back to the ancient Greeks and Romans. Then a mix of water, lemon juice and honey became a common soft drink in the 1700s. Joseph Priestley experimented with fermentation and invented a machine that produced carbonation in 1772. By the end of the century, "soda water" entered the lexicon.

Medical Soda

Artificial mineral water became associated with "health drinks" in the early 1800s. Pharmacists began adding ingredients in the 1830s, leading to the introduction of flavored soda drinks. Soft drinks of the 19th century were mainly marketed as medicine sold by pharmacists.

Early Carbonated Drinks

One of the first carbonated drinks to become popular was carbonated lemonade, popularized in England in the 1830s. Ginger ale became popular in the 1870s. Root beer began with Hires in 1876. Three more iconic drinks would be invented before the 20th century--Dr Pepper (1885), Coca-Cola (1886) and Pepsi-Cola (1898). Moxie (1876) is a regional soft drink mostly popular in New England.

1900s Expansion

The early 1900s marked a major expansion for the soft-drink industry as many new drinks entered the market. Pepsi was marketed as a remedy for dyspepsia. Coca-Cola was marketed as a cure for headaches. The first nationally advertised soft drink was Clicquot Club Ginger Ale. It faced competition with the arrival of Canada Dry Ginger Ale in 1908. Lemon drinks were challenged by 7UP, which debuted in 1929. A&W began selling its root beer in 1919.

Bottles and Cans

Soft drinks were first marketed in bottles in the 1800s, although the first patent for a glass-blowing machine was not until 1899. Vending machines first offered cups in the 1920s, then bottles in the early 1930s, then cans by 1965, which is why the American Bottlers of Carbonated Beverages changed its name to the National Soft Drink Association one year later. Plastic bottles arrived in 1970.

Classic Coke Significance

Coca-Cola made the news in April 1985 when it tried to introduce a new flavor called "New Coke" to replace the legendary drink. Three months later, the company brought the original drink back on the market as "Coca-Cola Classic" to counter public protest that confirmed loyalty to the best-selling soft drink of all time.

Health Drinks

Diet colas began appearing first with No-Cal Ginger Ale in 1952 for diabetics, sweetened by saccharine. Then in the 1960s there was a wave of diet drinks from Royal Crown, Coca-Cola and Pepsi. Caffeine-free drinks became popular in the 1980s. In the 1990s, fruit juices and organic drinks became popular, then energy drinks were in demand in the 2000s.