The history of Coca Cola began in 1885 with the invention of the original Coca Cola recipe. It was invented by the owner of a chemist’s store, John Pemberton, who had previously invented many different medicines or medical drinks. The original formula was altered several times in the first decade or two, including the removal of alcoholic ingredients by the time prohibition began in 1920. In these early years it was said to cure a whole range of ailments including headaches, impotence, and morphine addiction. In face, Coca-Cola was first marketed as a medicine, not as a sugary soft drink.
Early formulas included coca leaf (cocaine), at the rate of about nine milligrams of cocaine in each glass. As the public gradually realized the harmful… Continue reading