Soda Pop History

I'll admit that on New Year's Eve, most people aren't thinking about drinking soda pop, but that's what I'm talking about today. For many years Coke was my go-to drink, but in my effort to lose weight, I gave it up except for on rare occasions. The history of pop is rather interesting. Did you know that both Dr. Pepper and Rootbeer were invented by pharmacists?

 

1798—The term “soda water” was first used
1810—The first U.S. patent for the manufacture of mineral waters was issued
1819—The first soda fountain was patented
1835—The first bottled soda water was available in the U.S.

Note: The drinking of mineral water was considered a healthy practice. American pharmacists, who were selling most of the mineral waters, started to add medicinal and other flavorful herbs to the unflavored beverage, such as birch bark, dandelion, sarsaparilla, and fruit extracts.

1851—ginger ale was created in Ireland
1861—the term “pop” was first used

Just imagine, all of that happened before the Civil War had ended. It makes me thirsty just thinking about it.

1876—Mass production of Root Beer began. It started out as an herbal tea that Charles Hires, a Philadelphia pharmacist, created on his honeymoon.

1881—The first cola beverage was introduced

1885—Dr. Pepper was invented, also by a pharmacist

1886—Coca-Cola was invented by Doctor John Pemberton—you guessed it—a pharmacist from Atlanta, Georgia. Pemberton concocted the Coca-Cola formula in a three-legged brass kettle in his backyard. Until 1905, the soft drink, marketed as a tonic, contained extracts of cocaine as well as the caffeine-rich kola nut.

1892—William Painter invented the crown bottle cap

1898 Pepsi Cola is invented by Caleb Bradham. His most popular beverage was something he called "Brad's drink" made of carbonated water, sugar, vanilla, rare oils, pepsin, and cola nuts. "Brad's drink" was later renamed "Pepsi-Cola" after the pepsin and cola nuts used in the recipe.

1899—The first patent is issued for a glass-blowing machine to produce glass bottles.

Did you know that soda pop has been around for so long? There are plenty more events in the soda pop timeline, but I’ll stop here. Next time you’re reading a historical set in the late 1800s and your hero refreshes himself with a soft drink, just remember it could have really happened. And, next time you indulge in a cold, refreshing soft drink, be sure to thank all those early pharmacists for their creative genius.

THE MARSHAL NEXT DOOR

Vickie McDonough

In hopes of making his twin sisters more genteel, Marshal Justin Yates asks his neighbor, Marta, for help. At first, Marta is stunned, but then she realizes the motherless teens could benefit from learning to cook and sew better. 

Justin’s deputy claims he’s seen Justin’s twin sisters snooping around businesses where there have been recent thefts. Justin can’t believe his sisters might be involved, but when evidence is found in his house, will he have to arrest the twins at Christmastime?

To make matters worse, he is starting to fall for his deputy's sister. He can only imagine what the cranky man will say about that.

Available on Amazon / Free KU

Vickie McDonough is an award-winning author of over 50 books and novellas. Vickie’s books have won the Inspirational Reader's Choice Contest, Texas Gold, and the ACFW Noble Theme contest, and she has been a multi-year finalist in ACFW’s BOTY/Carol Award contest. Vickie series include the Texas Boardinghouse Brides, Land Rush Dreams, and Pioneer Promises. Vickie and her husband live in Oklahoma. She is a wife of forty-eight years, mother of four grown sons, and grandma to a smart and pretty high school senior. When she’s not writing, Vickie enjoys reading, gardening, watching movies, traveling, and card-making. To learn more about Vickie’s books, visit her website: www.vickiemcdonough.com

HAPPY NEW YEAR!