Soda has evolved vastly over the past few centuries and there are now many places around the world where people absolutely adore carbonated beverages. From plain old original Coca-Cola to holiday-themed soda, fizzy drinks seem to come in all forms. While many point to the late 19th century as the beginning of soda, with the arrival of Coca-Cola in 1886 and the transformation of Brad's Drink into Pepsi-Cola in 1898, the soda industry was actually well underway before these two significant dates.
Long before there was Coca-Cola, there was soda water. The origins of carbonated beverages like Pepsi, Coke, and Sprite and the story of sparkling waters and seltzers are effectively one and the same. In fact, the longest-lasting soda brand started life selling seltzer and remains a household name across the world today, although the products have gone through many changes since the brand's conception. Schweppes, which is now best known for its ginger ale and tonic water, was invented by Jacob Schweppe in 1783 and marked the first time in history that water was carbonated and sold to the masses.
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While the invention of Schweppes as a product took place in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1783, Jacob Schweppe, the man behind it all, actually invented carbonated water roughly 11 years before this in 1772. The Swiss beverage enthusiast first began experimenting with the concept of carbonated water as a hobby, basing his study on the work of scientists like Joseph Priestly, who had theorized that carbonation was possible decades prior. Having the resources to experiment, Schweppe's dabblings in carbonation paid off and he began giving away his aerated water to local doctors. At the time, it was known simply as medicated water and was used to treat stomach complaints. The drink's popularity grew, ultimately becoming a profitable venture for Scheweppe. By 1783, he had become the first soda salesman in history, giving the product his surname in the process.
However, it was no easy task to progress past this historical point for carbonated beverages. Over the decades, that inaugural carbonated water evolved slowly. The beverage was not properly bottled in a way that would keep it fizzy until 1809. The first flavored version of the drink, Schweppes Lemonade, arrived in 1835. Eventually, the brand's signature ginger ale and Indian tonic water drinks were created and distributed in 1870, still 16 years ahead of the revolutionary debut of Coca-Cola.
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