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History
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From Sacred Springs to Soda Fountains: The Medicinal Origins of Carbonated Water
Long before it formed the basis of the modern soda industry, carbonated water was a revered medicinal tonic. Ancient cultures saw divine healing powers in natural springs, a belief that lasted until scientists like Joseph Priestley artificially created it in the 18th century.
The Healing Waters of Antiquity
Today, the crisp crackle of a can opening and the subsequent fizz are sounds of simple refreshment. But before carbonated water became the ubiquitous base for our favorite soft drinks, its bubbles were thought to hold divine, curative powers. For millennia, humanity has been fascinated by naturally effervescent springs. The ancient Greeks and Romans believed these bubbling waters were gifts from the gods, building temples and bathhouses at their sources. Towns like Spa, Belgium—from which we derive the very word—gained fame across Europe as destinations for 'taking the waters,' a practice prescribed for everything from infertility to digestive ailments.
Capturing the 'Fixed Air' of Breweries
For centuries, the only way to experience this therapeutic fizz was to travel to these rare, naturally occurring springs. The notion that one could replicate this phenomenon was pure fantasy until the Age of Enlightenment turned its scientific gaze upon the matter. In 1767, English chemist and theologian Joseph Priestley, living next to a brewery in Leeds, noticed the gas that hung heavy over the fermenting vats. This gas, which he called 'fixed air' (now known as carbon dioxide), could extinguish wood chips. In a stroke of genius, he devised a method to dissolve this gas into water by suspending a bowl of it just above the beer. The result was the world's first artificially carbonated water. He published his findings in a paper titled 'Impregnating Water with Fixed Air,' more excited about its potential medicinal uses than any commercial prospects.
From Laboratory to Luxury Tonic
Priestley’s discovery laid the scientific groundwork, but it was an enterprising German-Swiss watchmaker named Johann Jacob Schweppe who turned the concept into a commercial reality. Recognizing the potential, Schweppe developed a more efficient, scalable process using a compression pump to carbonate water, patenting his method in 1783. He founded the Schweppes Company in Geneva and began selling his bottled 'soda water' not as a simple refreshment, but as a premium health tonic. Marketed to the affluent, it was prescribed by doctors to treat indigestion and kidney disorders, becoming a staple in the medicine cabinets of Victorian high society.
The Pharmacist's Miracle Cure
The concept of carbonated water as medicine reached its zenith in the late 19th-century American pharmacy, which became the unlikely birthplace of the soda fountain. Pharmacists, respected as community health experts, began mixing Schweppe’s soda water with flavored syrups and medicinal extracts to create palatable treatments for their customers. This practice gave rise to some of the world's most famous brands, whose origins are often remembered in popular trivia. As one user on a social forum recalls:
Coca-Cola used to contain cocaine, and was used to help veterans with morphine addiction.
Indeed, Atlanta pharmacist John Pemberton initially created 'French Wine Coca,' a nerve tonic containing coca leaf extract. He later reformulated it into a non-alcoholic version, Coca-Cola, which was sold as a 'temperance drink' that could cure headaches and relieve exhaustion. Similarly, another well-known anecdote points to the medicinal roots of its main rival:
Pepsi was originally created to help with digestion, hence the name 'Pepsi,' coming from the digestive enzyme pepsin.
This is also true. In 1893, North Carolina pharmacist Caleb Bradham developed 'Brad's Drink,' a mixture of sugar, water, caramel, and oils, which he marketed as a digestive aid and energy booster. He later renamed it Pepsi-Cola, referencing both the enzyme pepsin and the kola nut used in the recipe.
The Fizz That Conquered the World
Over time, the medicinal claims faded as the sheer pleasure of the drinks took center stage. The soda fountain evolved from a pharmacy counter into a social hub, and with the advent of mass bottling and refrigeration, the industry exploded. The fizzy water once sought in sacred springs and prescribed by doctors had completed its transformation into a global symbol of refreshment and enjoyment, a surprising journey from sacred cure to everyday commodity.