COLLECTOR INFORMATION
SODA BOTTLES - The
Early Days of Soda Pop
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THE EARLY DAYS OF SODA POP
The name "SODA" was coined in the early nineteenth century, but the product's true beginnings go back several centuries to biblical times when bubbling waters from natural springs were a much sought after delight. For centuries, early scientists, especially in Europe, attempted duplication of the effervescent quality found in naturally carbonated waters.
| 1767 | THE SODA WATER DEBUT In 1767, an English scientist named Joseph Priestly began experiments to "stimulate the fixed air found in natural waters". In one of his attempts, he used a primitive apparatus to pour water from one vessel to another held near fermenting vats at a local brewery. He found that the water easily absorbed the gas later identified as carbon dioxide, the same modern-day "fizz" that tickles our tonsils in Coca Cola. Priestly published his findings in a paper titled "Directions for Impregnating Water with Fixed Air". |
| 1807 | THE FIRST CARBONATED DRINK It is believed that the first carbonated soft drink was made in Philadelphia in 1807, when Dr. Philip Syng Physick, the father of American Surgery, asked a chemist to prepare carbonated water for a patient. Flavor was added to make the drink more palatable. The main problem at the dawn of soda pop was finding a way to add natural juices to carbonated water without fermentation ruining the drink. In 1809, Joseph Hawkins of Philadelphia was granted the first U.S. patent to bottle soda water. Shortly thereafter, he opened a small bottling plant on Chestnut Street. Carbonated beverages did not achieve wide-spread popularity until 1832, when John Matthew's invented an apparatus for charging water with carbon dioxide gas. |
| 1871 | LEMON'S The first soda pop trademark was issued for "Lemon's Superior Sparkling Ginger Ale" in 1871. |
| 1885 | DR PEPPER W.B. Morrison at the "Old Corner Drug Store" in Waco, Texas, developed a distinctively flavored drink at his soda fountain. The name Dr Pepper was inspired by Morrison's love for the daughter of his former employer... you guessed it... his name was Dr. Pepper! Dr. Pepper has the honor of being the oldest major soft drink currently sold in America. |
| 1886 | COCA COLA John S. Pemberton, an experimental pharmacist standing over an old brass or iron kettle in Atlanta tried over 300 combinations of different herbs and spices during a period of over four years before he finally came up with a liquid that tasted in his words "all right". That magic brew was named Coca Cola, and speculation still exists as to whether the potion was developed as a soft drink, or as a "cure-all" headache tonic. |
| 1889 | SHASTA Mineral spring water from the mountains of Northern California was bottled as "Shasta Mountain Spring Water", and later evolved to the Shasta Beverage Company. |
| 1890 | CANADA DRY John J. McLaughlin opened a plant in Toronto, Canada in 1890 to bottle soda water and sometime later a Belfast style ginger ale. In 1907, the name "Canada Dry" was given to a pale dry ginger ale that McLaughlin developed. |
| 1894 | COCA-COLA
The first bottling of Coca-Cola was done by Joseph Biedenharn in Vicksburg, Mississippi in his Biedenharn Candy Co. |
| 1898 | PEPSI COLA In 1898, another pharmacist, Caleb Bradham, developed and marketed a cola drink. In 1903, he registered the "Pepsi" trademark. |
| 1905 | ROYAL CROWN Not to be outdone in the race for thirst quenchers, Claude A. Hatcher a Georgia grocer began bottling a ginger ale and a root beer under the brand name of Royal Crown. |
| 1924 | NEHI The story goes that the Royal Crown Company was shown a 9-1/2 ounce bottle for a proposed new drink. The 6-1/2 ounce bottle commonly used at the time looked "knee high" beside the larger bottle, so in 1924, Royal Crown started marketing "Nehi" in a new 9-1/2 ounce bottle. |
| 1929 | SEVEN UP The "Un-Cola" was developed by C.I. Grigg in 1929 and called "Seven Up" |
| 1938 | SODA POP FINDS THE CAN WITH
CLICQUOT CLUB The first record of canned soda pop was in 1938 by the Clicquot Club Company of Mills, Massachusetts. Approximately 100,000 cases of ginger ale in a "low profile" wax lined cone top can made by Continental Can Company were distributed. Leak- age, flavor absorption problems, and difficulty in stacking and handling halted active consideration of the can as a package for soft drinks for another decade. |
| 1940'S | COCA-COLA Experiments to can Coca Cola were initiated in the early 1940's at the beginning of World War II. A 16 and a 32 ounce | cone top can was considered and test cans were obtained from can manufacturers. The project was abandoned because of the short- age of steel from the war effort. |
| 1948 | PEPSI COLA The next major attempt at canning and the actual test market- ing of a soft drink in a can occurred in 1948. With an improved liner, Pepsi tried promoting their drink in a 12 ounce cone top can at a price of "THREE FOR A QUARTER". Again the lining fail- ed, resulting in leaking cans on the grocer's shelves. |
| 1953 | C & C SODAS While can makers continued pushing development of liners to better withstand the acid and pressure of soft drinks, Cantrell and Cochrane introduced its "Super Coola" line of 9 flavors available in both 6 and 12 ounce cone top cans to the New York and Los Angeles markets. |
| 1953 | CAN-O-POP In 1953, the Can-O-Pop Beverage Company tried root beer in a punch top can for consumption in Southern California. |
| 1954 | DADS ROOT BEER The Dad's Root Beer Company of Chicago, Illinois, canned root beer in 12 and 32 ounce cone top cans for distribution around Chicago. |
| 1954 | BEVRICH Four different flavors of Bevrich were canned for markets in the Eastern United States. |
| 1954 | CANADA DRY Canada Dry began market testing several flavors in cone top cans in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. |
| 1954 | WHITE ROCK White Rock canned root beer, lemon lime, and black cherry for testing in Los Angeles, California. |
| 1954 | PABST The Pabst Brewery introduced "Tap-A-Cola" in Syracuse and Rochester, New York. |
| 1954 | ROYAL CROWN RC Cola first produced a cola in a can in 1954, and by 1960 was the largest canner of soft drinks. |
| 1955 | FINALLY... COCA COLA IN A CAN ! |
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