More interesting facts

Although alot of attention is paid to Coca-Cola there were other people discovering and producing soda. Many of the people responsible for the concoctions we drink today were pharmacists. The were dispensing refreshing drinks to the public from their drug stores. Most of the recipes were dispensed as "cure alls", however there were only a few that contained "addictive" additives. Coca-cola was one at the top of the list.

1820: Bottled and sold, Saratoga Springs Mineral Water
1851: Ginger ale was created in Ireland.
1876: Root beer was massed produced for sale to the public, invented also by a pharmacist.
1880: A druggist in Detroit formulated a ginger ale named Vernors.
1885: A Waco beverage chemist and bottler was dispensing a flavored drink from his soda fountain called Dr. Pepper. Dr. Pepper also holds the title of being the oldest major soft drink sold currently in America.
1886: Dr. Pemberton invented Coca-Cola.
1888: Dr. Pepper was first sold in a bottle.
1893: Crystal bottling company began bottling HIRES Root Beer.
1898: Barq's rootbeer was first sold.
1898: Another pharmacist, Caleb Bradham developed "Brad's Drink" at his local drugstore. This is now known as "Pepsi".

Soda Bottling Companies In 1879

Approximately 512 soda bottling plants were up and operating in the United States in 1879. Their annual output amounted to approximately $4,750,000. In 1950 there were 6,600 plants producing soda. Listed below are the Soda Manufacturing Plants located in major cities in the US in 1879.

Baltimore: 17
Boston: 8
Brooklyn: 21
Chicago: 13
Cincinnati: 11
Cleveland: 4
Louisville: 7
Milwaukee: 6
Newark: 8
New Orleans: 7
New York City: 21
Philadelphia: 13
Providence: 3
St Louis: 11
Washington: 3

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Before Coca Cola there was Vin Mariani

Angelo Mariani came from a long family line of doctors and chemists who became a lifelong devotee and worshiper of the Coca plant. His first intent was to produce a medical tonic, however in the 1880's Angelo figured out the best way to capture cocaine's power was to steep the leaves in Bordeaux wine. His creation "Vin Mariani" was praised by Thomas Edison and Pope Leo XIII gave a gold medal to Mariani for being a benefactor of humanity. Although the ingredients were a secret, this concoction was proclaimed in extensive advertisements to "chase away fatigue, banish aches and pains and make the user feel very, very good." There was even a recommended dosage on the label of the bottle "a claret-glass full, before and after every meal." It contained 30 mg. of cocaine in 5 ounces. That would definitely be enough to make you feel very very good!
There were hundreds of Vin Mariani imitations: Delicious Dopeless Nocacola, Kola Ade, Cafe Coca, Dr. Don’s Cola, Pillsbury’s Coke Extract, Inca Cola, Kos-Kola, Kumfort’s Coke Extract, Rococola, and Coca-bola. John S.Pemberton, French Wine Coca became moderately profitable however he knew that making the wine during prohibition would end his success and began working on a non-alcohol version....TADA.....Coca-Cola.

This is famous script handwriting of Frank Robinson, John Pemberton's bookeeper, it is still used today on Coca-Cola advertising and production items.

John Pemberton - Pharmacist

In 1886 prohibition law was enacted in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. John Pemberton a pharmacist from Atlanta rewrote and renamed his then popular "Pemberton's French Wine Coca". His Wine was sold by most of the city druggists.
Later that year; May 8, 1886 he introduced Coca-Cola. His formula still possessed the valuable side effects of the French Wine Coca but it was sweetened with sugar instead of wine. Some records say that John Pemberton made the concoction in a three legged brass kettle in his backyard. Other reports indicate that Dr. Pemberton was well-educated for that time: first as a Thomsonian botanical doctor and later he received formal training in pharmacology. The drink was named after it's two "medicinal" ingredients, extracts of cocaine and kola nuts. The soft drink was first sold to the public at the soda fountain in Jacob's Pharmacy in Atlanta for 5 cents.
The soft drink was marketed as a tonic which contained extracts of cocaine and kola nut until 1905. They sold about nine servings each day. Sales for that first year added up to a total of about $50. The draw back was that it cost Pemberton over $70 in expenses, so the first year of sales were a total loss. Asa Candler bought the formula for $2,300 in 1887. In 1892 Coca-Cola was incorporated. Because of the negative effects of cocaine, in 1903 the Coca-Cola company agreed to only use coca leaves that were "decocainized".