Now and Then: The History of Soda (2024)

Soda hasn’t been around that long — in fact carbonated drinks weren’t invented until 1767. Joseph Priestly was the man who figured out how to infuse water with Co2, by hanging a bowl of water over a tub of fermenting beer. People used to think that mineral spring water cured health problems so they tried to replicate it with carbonated water — this is why soda was sold at pharmacies as medicine.

The first soda machine was patented in 1819 — and the guy working behind the counter was known as a soda jerk. In 1876, root beer started to be sold to the public — and was flavored with more than 25 herbs berries and roots.

The first cola-flavored soda was sold in 1881 and Dr. Pepper was invented four years later. Coca-Cola was invented shorty after that — and was actually made with a small amount of cocaine. Cocaine stayed in the recipe until 1928.

After years of being a health drink, soda finally got called out in 1942 by the American Medical Association for having tons of sugar. As a response to that, diet sodas were created, paving the way for diet co*ke addictions everywhere. In the present day, studies have linked sodas to weight gain so people are trying to curvetheir consumption — and since soda sales are declining, their efforts seem tobe working.