Carbonated beverages have a long tradition and history in the united states and many other countries. The allure of these fizzy drinks have always been refreshing standbys for people seeking a delightful and satisfying drink. In 1798, the first name of soda water came into existence. After that, during the early 1800s the first United states patent was issued for the manufacturing of Hungarian tonic water mineral waters (which were created, not from natural sources). A large leap in soda pop history was found with Samuel Fahnestock, who became one of the first patent creators for soda fountain. Then, during the 1830s bottled soda water started to appear in the united states. In the 1850s, ginger ale was created in Ireland, also during this time the term pop became a word associated with soft drinks. Later on, in the 1870s root beer was starting to be mass produced for public consumption.

The root beer in combination with ice-cream became a very famous combination for people. During the 1880s the first cola’s appeared. Towards the end of the century, William Painter invented a bottle cap called the “crown bottle cap” which helped keep in the carbonation. After the turn of the century, in the early 1900s, gas trucks started to replace horse carriages for the means of delivery and logistics. After that, before the 1920s the American Bottles of Carbonated Beverages was formed. During that same time, the united states Census bureau reported that over 5, 000 bottlers existed in the states. Stemming from this information, the first automatic vending machines came into existence and started to vend soda pop into cups. Later on, in 1923 the first six pack varieties of soda pop were put forth, known as “Horn-Paks. “

During the 1930s, things started to heat up as well in the soda pop industry. The first color labels were being produced for the bottles. The process involved putting the bottle in an oven to effectively adhere the label to the bottle. Much after this time, during the 1950s the first diet soda was introduced as “No-Cal Beverage, ” which was a gingerale. After that, the first diet cola was sold. Adding to the tradition of the soda pop (and other beverage markets) was the “Pop Top” beer can, which was first introduced by the Schlitz Brewing Company. Finally, during the 1960s, the first soft drink vending machines were put forth. During that same time, the ability to reseal the top of containers for soda pop was invented. Earlier, we talked about the American Bottles of Carbonated Beverages, but during the middle-part of the 1960s it was renamed to the National Soft drink Association.

After the 1960s, the first plastic bottles showed up (mostly due by the invention of the resealable top). After that, the first food/drink plastics started to become popular, especially with soft drinks (known as PET, or polyethylene terephthalate). And currently, we are experiencing a surge of different soft drink combinations. For example, the diet products continue to grow, with different flavoring additions. Can sizes and designs are always being worked on. What we have seen is that the soft drink started from humble beginnings, but over time (especially in the 50s and 60s) it expanded into a most popular market, in the united states and everywhere else.