---
title: "A Soda Story for a Scorching Summer..."
description: "This article traces the history of soda from its origins as a medicinal tonic in 19th-century pharmacies to its golden age as a cultural phenomenon, and finally to its modern evolution amid health concerns. It highlights key innovations, the role of pharmacists, and the enduring appeal of fizzy drinks."
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published: "2017-07-31"
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# A Soda Story for a Scorching Summer...

> This article traces the history of soda from its origins as a medicinal tonic in 19th-century pharmacies to its golden age as a cultural phenomenon, and finally to its modern evolution amid health concerns. It highlights key innovations, the role of pharmacists, and the enduring appeal of fizzy drinks.

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It's not the chirping of cicadas that ushers in summer in the city. Rather, on a certain night, people spontaneously crack open a bottle of soda—with a "pssst," summer quietly arrives.
As temperatures climb, soda's magic peaks in midsummer. Squinting into the blazing sun and gulping down an ice-cold cola, or watching soda bubbles slowly rise in a cocktail, are the most blissful moments of every summer.
But you might not know that a century and a half ago, these lively bubbles were only available in pharmacies. Today's doctors, who wave your lab report and remind you to drink less soda and exercise more, once stood behind the counter, smiling as they mixed cup after cup of bubbling sweet potion...
You've been drinking soda since childhood, but you may not know its "dark history." On this hot summer night, why not crack open a soda, sit under the AC, and let us tell you some quirky tales about soda.
**1 | The Legend of Mineral Water and the Birth of Soda Water**
**2 | The Sweet Pharmacy**
**The "Soda Fountain"**
Such a trendy drink naturally attracted profit-seeking merchants. In 1810, American inventors Simons and Rundell filed the first patent for large-scale soda water production. However, the technology was far from mature: carbonated water was either contaminated by oxides turning it blood-red, or mixed with large amounts of lime, making it undrinkable.
Soda water, laden with hope, hit a snag at the very start of commercialization. Investors staked fortunes, only to face bankruptcy or worse...
It wasn't until 1832 that an Englishman named John Mathews invented the soda water machine, bringing a ray of technological hope to the industry.
Mathews' design was undoubtedly a revolution. Previous machines generated gas by fermenting yeast in water or adding chemical compounds. The lime reaction saved materials, but the large volume of gas produced in a short time required storage outside the water, and if pressure got too high, there was a risk of explosion.
Mathews was the first to successfully store gas stably in a large-scale production model, greatly reducing costs. The generated gas was filtered and then sent to a huge water tank to mix with cold water. Within half an hour, the finished soda water flowed from the tap, and the bottling process became convenient and efficient.
The term "soda fountain" originally referred to the soda counter in a pharmacy, but Mathews' machine became a true soda "fountain": **the foam gushing forth joyfully heralded the arrival of the soda era.**
**The Pharmacy's Winning Secret**
Mass-produced soda water began to hit the streets and gained popularity. But it was the pharmacists who ultimately drew people into this carnival whirlpool.
From the mid-19th to the early 20th century, a large number of pharmacies began to introduce Mathews' machines. Pharmacists could produce soda water in bulk at low cost and saw more possibilities in it. Merely masking the bitter taste was not enough. A 1908 pharmaceutical publication, *The Pharmaceutical Era*, stated, "A first-class pharmacy will carefully prepare its medicines: no matter how unpalatable they may be in their original form, the customer will receive a pleasant product at the counter."
You ask what constitutes "pleasant"? Soda bubbles are the basic texture, plus a few spoonfuls of syrup, coconut wine, thoroughly stirred, and poured into a goblet...
Patients who tasted such brilliantly flavored medicines for the first time couldn't help but have racing hearts and dreamy eyes: "I feel like my illness might not be that mild. Three glasses, doctor, I might need three glasses to get better. What do you think?"
▲ "Diamond" and "Boston Flip"—pharmacists already had the flair of bartenders when naming their creations.
The pharmacists who opened the door to the new world of soda drinks—oh, no, the bartenders—burst with creativity and soon developed their own unique recipes. This sparked a near-universal soda craze. Men, women, young, and old, who had rarely visited pharmacies before, were now captivated by this sweet potion. Pharmacies selling soda drinks reaped miraculous profits within just a few years.
**The Golden Age**
In 1875, the introduction of the ice cream soda (the float) pushed the soda fountain to the peak of its popularity. The three decades from the 1870s to the new century were the Gilded Age as described by Mark Twain, and also the heyday of the soda fountain. By the 20th century, nearly every street corner in America had a soda fountain pharmacy.
At the time, some criticized that pharmacies should focus on selling medicine rather than drinks. But how could pharmacies possibly remove the hugely popular soda counter? Like soda water just poured into a glass, the bubbles still danced and rose in joyful clamor, and pharmacies expanded, becoming gathering places for all walks of life. Regardless of gender, age, or health, a glass of sugar water became a reason to sit down at the soda fountain counter and relax with a slight buzz.
Pharmacy owners who were making a fortune spared no expense on interior decoration. **The "fresh, dazzling, and vulgar" spirit of the Gilded Age was perfectly embodied by the soda fountain, the cherry on top of the era's sundae:** mahogany cabinets and furniture, a piano in the center of the room with a musician playing lively dance tunes; the counter was adorned with the most fashionable artworks: classical elegant marble sculptures, exquisite and luxurious celluloid lamps, and a huge mirror on the back wall surrounded by agate; the once simple soda fountain with just a goose-neck tap had transformed into a magnificent work of art.
▲ Yes, this is just a pharmacy.
Thirty years after the golden age, the cannon fire of World War II shattered the gaudy bubbles. Shortly after the war, with the rise of bottled drinks and the fast-food industry, the soda fountain gradually declined and eventually slipped from the pages of history. From the 1860s to the 1930s, this sweet legend lasted only about 80 years.
▲ Cover of an American pharmacist journal on the eve of the war. The one carrying the tray is, of course, the sweet and lovely pharmacist herself.
**3 | The Doctor's Secret**
The legendary beverage Coca-Cola is, of course, also a pharmacist's masterpiece. You've probably heard about the caffeine in Coke, but the original formula had an even crazier ingredient: cocaine. The "Coca" in Coca-Cola comes from cocaine. It wasn't until 1903 that Coca-Cola removed cocaine from its formula.
This was no coincidence, nor an isolated case. **In those days, adding neuroactive drugs to soda drinks was an unspoken promotional tactic among almost all pharmacists.**
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration didn't enact the Pure Food and Drug Act until 1906, prohibiting "adulteration" in food and drugs. Before that, pharmacists could add almost anything to a glass of soda water. Medicinal heroin, morphine, and cocaine, originally sold in solid measured doses, dissolved into various drinks, making their content unpredictable.
At this point, pharmacies were not just for healing; they became "mother's little helper, father's weapon": housewives burdened with heavy chores, traveling salesmen—all they had to do was sit at the soda fountain, order a seasonal special, and immediately soothe their fatigue with a sufficient dose of morphine. The loyal customers of the soda fountain were, in fact, mostly addicts of these drinks.
▲ Every time the soda fountain mixed a Coca-Cola, young women would scramble for it.
**4 | Soda in the New Era**
**Sugar Bomb**
The expansion of soda drinks into the market was greatly aided by bottling technology. **The core of technological progress was how to better preserve the gas in the drink**, allowing people to enjoy the sweet bubbles anytime, anywhere.
Post-war soda water no longer relied on the soda fountain's homemade recipes and counter sales to attract customers, but shifted to production and sales by soda factories. The torch lit by pharmacists had passed into the hands of big capitalists. The chosen ancient formulas (such as Coca-Cola, Dr Pepper, 7 Up, Sprite) were improved with artificial flavors and scientific ratios, creating tastes capable of captivating all soda lovers. Rows of soda bottles and cans gleaming with metallic and glass luster on supermarket shelves ignited desire the moment they were opened. At the end of the 20th century, it was another soda carnival.
Judging from early soda advertisements, the revelers had no qualms about sugar. In a 1961 Coke ad, actress Connie Clausen, holding a "not-too-sweet" Coke, smiled at the audience: "You know, a bottle of Coke has fewer calories than half a grapefruit. Besides, the taste of an ice-cold Coke is so satisfying that I don't think about the things that really make me fat."
In 1971, Coca-Cola took this craze to its peak: in that year's ad, people from all corners of the world stood before the camera, each holding a bottle of Coke. Everyone smiled, looked transcendent, and sang "I'd like to buy the world a Coke."
From 1977 to 2002, U.S. soft drink sales nearly doubled, and so did the proportion of overweight people. When the fat around their waists became increasingly alarming, people finally began to think about what soda could bring besides pleasure.
**Embracing "Freshness" with a Tipsy Posture**
The emphasis on health and sugar-free options has once again shifted the direction of soda in the new century.
Today, the term "carbonated drink" is almost synonymous with health problems: too much sugar makes you obese, and phosphoric acid can cause bone loss. Even sugar-free sodas aren't in a great position. As early as 1959, the first Diet Coke went on sale, but whether artificial sweeteners have negative health effects is still debated.
The path for carbonated drinks has become increasingly difficult, and soda water has decided to turn back this time. (Carbonated drinks are still considered part of the soda category, just one of the most popular forms of soda at different historical stages.)
At the end of the 20th century, bottled sparkling water sparked a new wave, and soda water machines made a comeback in home models. In terms of flavored sodas, many naturally fermented drinks emerged, such as ginger beer, root beer, and kvas. Bubble enthusiasts' tastes seem to be returning to the origin, embracing "fresh" sodas that are natural, low-sugar, or additive-free.
But even "fresh" sodas are not as harmless as they seem. As early as the Prohibition era in the U.S. (1920-1933), soda water had already become the best cover for spirits. In post-war Japan, soda water brought whiskey to the dinner table through the highball (a cocktail of soda water and whiskey). Spirits, diluted by cocktails and lightened by bubbles, successfully "smuggled" themselves into daily life.
With this tactical precedent, pre-mixed cocktails (such as RIO) that have emerged in recent years have combined the fresh aesthetic of soda water to successfully win over more bubble enthusiasts. Well, those fruit-flavored wines that burst with girlish heart are included too.
So, let's pause the story here.
"Is that it?" someone burps.
Of course not. Just as the love for soda never fades, the story will continue. And those of us in it have only one task: to get tipsy in sweetness and revel in bubbles.
**Source: Penguin Food & Drink Guide (ID: qiechihe)**
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