Top 7 Oldest Sodas In The World

Despite soda being extremely unhealthy, it is still one of the most favorite drinks to enjoy especially on a hot sunny day. We can trace the origins of soda back to the 18th century when scientists were developing carbonated mineral water thanks to Joseph Priestley.

Initially, this carbonated mineral water was used as a medicinal tonic for various ailments, including upset stomachs. By the 1870s, the product line had expanded to include ginger ale and tonic water.

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Here we would like to share with you the top 7 oldest sodas in the world. Today, these sodas are globally recognized name, produced by major beverage companies in some parts of the world.

7. Coca-Cola (1886)

Coca-Cola, a name synonymous with carbonated beverages, has a rich history that dates back to 1886. The drink was the brainchild of an Atlanta pharmacist named John Pemberton. Pemberton initially developed the beverage as a non-alcoholic version of his previous tonic, Pemberton’s French Wine Coca.

His bookkeeper, Frank Robinson, is credited with naming the drink “Coca-Cola” and designing the distinctive script that is still used in the brand’s logo today. In its early days, Coca-Cola was marketed as a tonic for common ailments, with its formula containing extracts from the coca leaf and the caffeine-rich kola nut.

However, the cocaine was removed from Coca-Cola’s formula around 1903. The first glass of Coca-Cola was poured at Jacobs’ Pharmacy in downtown Atlanta. In its first year, the drink was served about nine times per day. Today, Coca-Cola is a global brand and a cultural institution in the United States.

6. Dr Pepper (1885)

Dr Pepper, a distinctive carbonated soft drink, has a history that stretches back to the 1880s. The beverage was invented by Charles Alderton, a pharmacist from Brooklyn who was working in Waco, Texas. Alderton initially created the drink at Morrison’s Old Corner Drug Store, where he worked.

The drink quickly gained popularity among the store’s customers, who would order it by asking Alderton to "shoot them a ‘Waco’". The U.S. Patent Office recognizes December 1, 1885, as the first time Dr Pepper was served. In 1891, Morrison and Lazenby formed the Artesian Mfg. & Bottling Company, which later became the Dr Pepper Company.

The company introduced Dr Pepper to a wider audience at the 1904 World’s Fair Exposition in St. Louis. Today, Dr Pepper is sold in the United States and Europe, Asia, Canada, Mexico, South America, New Zealand, and South Africa.

5. Moxie (1884)

Moxie is a unique carbonated beverage with a history that dates back to 1884 when it was mass-produced commercially. It was invented by Dr. Augustin Thompson, a pharmacist from Brooklyn who was working in Lowell, Massachusetts.

Originally marketed as “Moxie Nerve Food”, it was touted as a cure-all medicinal tonic. Thompson claimed that Moxie contained an extract from a rare, unnamed South American plant, which is now known to be gentian root.

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The drink was especially effective against “paralysis, softening of the brain, nervousness, and insomnia” according to Thompson. Moxie was the first mass-produced soft drink in the U.S., predating Coca-Cola by a decade. At one point, it even surpassed Coca-Cola in sales.

However, Moxie’s popularity declined during the Great Depression after the company drastically scaled down advertising.

4. Fioravanti (1878)

Credit: Wikimedia Commons via Giuseppeariel

Fioravanti is a fruit-flavored, carbonated soft drink that holds a significant place in the history of sodas. It was first sold in 1878 in Ecuador, making it one of the earliest commercially sold soft drinks. The drink was introduced by an Italian immigrant named Juan F. Fioravanti.

The original flavor of Fioravanti is strawberry, but over time, other flavors like apple were added to its lineup. Despite its long history and unique taste, Fioravanti may not be widely recognized outside of South America and Spain.

In 1991, Fioravanti was acquired by The Coca-Cola Company. Today, with over 140 years of history, Fioravanti continues to be enjoyed by soda enthusiasts around the world.

3. Hires Root Beer (1876)

Credit: Boston Public Library

Hires Root Beer, a classic American beverage was created by Charles Elmer Hires, a pharmacist from Philadelphia. Hires first tasted root beer, a traditional American beverage dating back to the colonial era, while on his honeymoon in 1875.

By 1876, Hires had developed his own recipe and began marketing 25-cent packets of powder which each yielded one US gallon (3.8 L) of root beer. He introduced his root beer to the public at Philadelphia’s Centennial Exposition in 1876, where he gave away free glasses of it.

Hires marketed it as a solid concentrate of 16 wild roots and berries, claiming it could purify the blood and make rosy cheeks. Today, Hires Root Beer is owned by Keurig Dr Pepper.

2. Vernors Ginger Ale (1866)

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Vernors Ginger Ale, one of America's oldest soft drinks, was first served to the public in 1866. The drink was created by James Vernor, a well-respected pharmacist from Detroit. Vernor began his career as an errand boy at Higby & Stearns Drug Store in 1858, later becoming a junior clerk.

He was experimenting with a medicinal tonic of vanilla and spices, adding ginger to calm the stomach when he was called to serve in the Civil War in 1862. He left the mixture in an oak barrel, and when he returned from the war, he was surprised by its delicious contents.

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The beverage had a zesty, sweet, gingery flavor that was accentuated by the wood’s aging process. A highly carbonated beverage, Vernor’s is often used to cure stomachaches or mixed with lemon juice and served hot to nurse a sore throat or cough.

1. Schweppes (1783)

Schweppes is recognized as the world’s oldest soda brand, with a rich history that spans over two centuries. The journey of Schweppes began in the late 18th century with Johann Jacob Schweppe. Schweppe, a watchmaker by profession, was intrigued by the process of carbonating water, a technique developed by English scientist Joseph Priestly.

In 1783, Schweppe founded The Schweppes Company in Geneva and started manufacturing Schweppes soda. The fizzy beverage was initially sold as medicinal water, replicating the qualities of natural mineral waters from regions like Seltzer, Spa, Pyrmont, Vals, and Balaruc.

To expand its operations, Schweppe moved to London in 1792 and established the first Schweppes factory in the city. Today, Schweppes’ iconic logo is recognizable worldwide, and its products reach a staggering number of individuals and households annually.

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