Coca-Cola has often been named America’s #1 beverage. Its company has been a leading brand largely due to its nostalgia, as the drink dates back to the late 19th century. Check out these interesting Coca-Cola facts!
1: Intended To Cure Morphine Addiction
The recipe for Coca-Cola was originally created by Civil War Confederate veteran John Pemberton in 1885.
During the war, Pemberton was wounded and treated with morphine, a common treatment for war wounds at the time. However, this led him to become addicted to morphine.
Following the war, Pemberton achieved a medical degree and searched for a cure to his problematic addiction. His search led him to create the original Coca-Cola recipe. Doctor Pemberton claimed that his beverage could cure morphine addiction, along with a few other ailments.
2: First Used As Medicine
Doctor Pemberton stated that his Coca-Cola was to be used as medicine, and he marketed it as such. Along with morphine addiction, he claimed that the drink could cure indigestion, nerve disorders, headaches, and even impotence.
During this time period, carbonated water was generally believed to be good for the health. Pemberton took advantage of this with his Coca-Cola drink.
3: Contained Caffeine and Cocaine
The original Coca-Cola drink contained both caffeine and cocaine. During the late 19th century, cocaine was not yet seen as an abusive recreational drug as it is today. Pemberton believed the addition of cocaine to be harmless.
Cocaine was included in Coca-Cola until 1904. Even so, it was only added to the drink in low doses. Early Coca-Cola contained around 9 milligrams of cocaine per soda glass.
Cocaine derived from coca leaves, and caffeine derived from kola nuts, giving Coca-Cola its name. 20 years after the drink was invented, the Coca-Cola Company began to extract the cocaine from coca leaves before using them. Today, coca leaves are still used in the soda, however there is no longer any cocaine.
4: The Government Unsuccessfully Sued
Even with the extraction of cocaine, Coca-Cola still included caffeine. This became a problem with the United States government. The Coca-Cola Company was sued several times over the matter, the most notable lawsuit taking place in 1911 (United States vs. Forty Barrels and Twenty Kegs of Coca-Cola).
However, each lawsuit was unsuccessful for the government. Eventually, the Coca-Cola Company was forced to label caffeine on their soda bottles and cans. Caffeine was never removed from the drink, and is still added to this day.
5: Evolution Into Bottles
Doctor Pemberton originally sold his Coca-Cola for five cents per glass. Due to contract complications, this price would remain until 1959.
The only way to drink Pemberton’s soda was through a soda fountain. Bottling the drink had not begun until March 1894. The bottles themselves had also evolved over time.
At first, the Hutchinson bottle design was used. However, this design was soon after replaced, and factories across the country were set up to bottle the famous beverage.
Conclusion
On 16 August 1888, Doctor Pemberton suddenly died, just as his Coca-Cola recipe was picking up in popularity. His death led to the scramble of ownership over the beverage, which soon led to the formation of a company. In 1892, the Coca-Cola Company was founded.
By the 1980s, with the immense popularity of the drink, the company unveiled a new version of it, called “Coke New” and later “Coke 2”. The public was outraged, however, and pressured the company to end production of the new drink and bring back “Coke Classic”.
