O refrigerator it is a drink, usually rich in sugar, with synthetic aromas of fruits and carbon dioxide, in addition to dyes and preservatives. Many people know this drink and are even addicted to it, but do you know the soda history And what is the oldest brand in the world to produce this type of drink?
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The history of soda
Lots of people all over the world love a very cold, fizzy soda, but nobody likes it as much as Americans. However, the truth is that soda was invented in the year 1676 in Paris by a company that mixed water, lemon juice and sugar.
At that time, the existence of water mixed with carbon dioxide had not yet been discovered. It was Joseph Priestley who carried out experiments in 1772 adding gas to liquids, but the product was not commercialized until 1830. However, there were people who arrived before.
The Schweppes started in 1783
Johann Jacob Schweppe was born in Witzenhausen, a German city. He developed a method for bottling carbonated water, keeping it under pressure to preserve its effervescence. He was a professional watchmaker with obvious mechanical skills.
As a result, he established his eponymous company, Schweppes, in Geneva in 1783. Not only is Schweppes the oldest existing soft drink brand at 239 years and counting, it also made the world's first bottled soft drink.
Furthermore, the brand didn't introduce a flavored beverage until 1835, nearly four decades after Johann Jacob Schweppe retired. The first flavor was lemon, which was followed in the 1870s by the still iconic Schweppes Ginger Ale and tonic water.
There are people who say that the brand did not start with soft drinks in 1783
Some would argue that Schweppes wasn't really a soda brand until it started selling flavored options (which included sugar). However, even if you follow this reasoning, it is still considered to be the oldest soft drink in existence.
By comparison, Vernors Ginger Ale, America's oldest soft drink, didn't appear until 1866, more than 30 years after people started drinking Schweppes brand lemonade.