Know that the non-alcoholic drink that conquered the world has very ancient origins, it was in the 19th century that the novelty is here to stay, and since then it has been a market leader in terms of soft drinks.
What you might not know is about the first uses of Cola drinks (name derived from its origin). Its primary objective was not only to be ingested during leisure time, the first sips were as medicine, in fact, the sales location was precisely a pharmacy. It was believed that the dark liquid was able to invigorate the spirits of those who ingested it, it was seen as a powerful energizer capable of raising a "dead", and it was with the following slogan that the drink began to conquer the public:
Refreshing! Delicious! Invigorating!
At that time, the composition of the "alleged drug" was more incorporated and it was from this that the name emerged Glue, as the ingredients capable of raising the patient's spirits were taken from the glue plant.
It remains to be seen who the creative inventor of Refrescante was! Delicious! Invigorating! His name was
The ingredients responsible for the new stimulant are unknown to this day. What we can reveal is that the composition had the fruits of the coca plant and the cola nut, but these two items are not added to the cola soft drinks produced today. The beverage we drink today contains as main additives: caramel, vanilla essence, caffeine, phosphoric acid, lemon juice, all of them added to the mysterious “syrup”, which cannot be revealed for the sake of secrecy business. Ah! We cannot forget that at the time of its discovery the drink was not carbonated and even so it was already successful.
Characteristics of the drink determined by each ingredient: Phosphoric acid is responsible for the refreshing (citric) flavor. The combination of caramel, lemon and vanilla essence provide the dominant aromas, whereas caffeine is responsible for the stimulating effect provided to the consumer.
By Líria Alves
Graduated in Chemistry
Source: Brazil School - https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/quimica/origem-dos-refrigerantes-cola.htm