Coca-Cola was originally invented by John Pemberton and patented as French Wine Coca nerve tonic in 1885. Pemberton was hoping to create a substitute for morphine, to which he had become addicted after an injury during the Civil War.
His original recipe contained both alcohol and cocaine but, after prohibition was enacted in Georgia, Pemberton removed the alcohol. He had renamed the drink "Coca-Cola" by 1886. Cocaine was removed from the formula in 1903.
Originally Coke was sold as a cure-all medicine at soda fountains. It was bottled for the first time in Vicksburg, Mississippi, during 1891, while Coke cans didn't appear until 1955.
Since 2012, Coca Cola has been officially available for sale in every country in the world, except North Korea and Cuba.
More about Coca-Cola:
- Originally, Coke used bitter kola nuts as a source of caffeine, but they have been removed from the modern formula.
- The original recipe for Coca-Cola was committed to paper when investors bought the company in 1919. It is currently in a vault on display at the World of Coca-Cola in Atlanta.
- Coca-Cola has been one of the top three most valuable brands in the world for over a decade as of 2014, according to brand consultancy, Interbrand.
