What is the history of soda?
Soda started as bottled carbonated water in the late 1700s: the English chemist Joseph Priestley showed in 1767 how to dissolve carbon dioxide in water. Flavored sodas followed in the 1800s through pharmacies and soda fountains, and brands like Coca-Cola (1886) and Pepsi-Cola (named about 1898) turned soda into a mass-market drink.
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In this article
When was soda invented?
Soda grew out of naturally bubbly spring water. People drank it for centuries and tried to copy it. In 1767 the English chemist Joseph Priestley showed how to make fizzy water by dissolving carbon dioxide in water. That is the usual starting point for the history of soda. Jacob Schweppe, a Swiss jeweler, turned carbonated water into a business: the Schweppes company dates from 1783 in Geneva, and he opened a London factory in 1792.
Why was soda invented?
Early carbonated water was sold as a health drink: Schweppes marketed its waters for ailments such as indigestion, and people believed bubbly mineral water was good for you. Pharmacists then added herbs, roots and fruit syrups to it. That is why soda was first sold in drugstores and why many early brands began as tonics.
Timeline of soda
| Year (about) | What happened |
|---|---|
| 1767 | Priestley describes making carbonated water |
| 1783 | Schweppes founded in Geneva (London factory 1792) |
| 1800s | Soda fountains spread in US pharmacies; flavored syrups added |
| About 1876 | Hires Root Beer shown in Philadelphia (some sources say 1875 or later) |
| 1885-1886 | Dr Pepper (Waco, Texas) and Coca-Cola (Atlanta) first served, per company histories |
| 1892 | Crown cork bottle cap patented, making bottled soda practical |
| 1898 | Brad’s Drink renamed Pepsi-Cola |
| Mid-1900s | Canned soda and diet sodas become common |
How did soda become popular?
Three changes did most of the work: soda fountains in pharmacies, cheap bottling with the crown cap, and later cans and vending machines. Large brands then built national advertising and distribution networks. Today soda is sold in nearly every country, often under local names such as pop, soda pop, soft drink or fizzy drink.
What was the first soda?
The first soda in the modern sense was plain carbonated water, sometimes called soda water. Flavored soft drinks came later; lemonade, ginger ale, root beer and cola are among the early styles.
Dates for some brands differ between company histories, so treat years as approximate.
People also ask
When was soda invented?
Carbonated water was first made artificially in 1767, and flavored sodas followed in the 1800s.
What was the first soda?
Plain carbonated water, also called soda water, came first. Flavored drinks such as ginger ale, root beer and cola followed.
When did soda become popular?
Soda spread in the late 1800s through pharmacy soda fountains and bottling, and became a mass-market drink in the 1900s.
Sources
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