Who doesn’t love a refreshing soda? It is often easy to take these fizzy drinks for granted, but some of their backstories and tales may actually surprise you. From weird origins to strange lawsuits, here are some interesting facts about soda that go beyond the bubbles.
1. The Case of the Mouse and Mountain Dew
In 2012, a man sued Mountain Dew, claiming he found a mouse in his can. Mountain Dew’s defense? They argued the mouse would have dissolved if it had been in the can that long. Case closed, but it raised concerns about the acidic nature of citrus sodas, which are known to erode teeth and bones over time.
2. Mountain Dew: From Moonshine Mixer to Soda
Before it was a soda, “Mountain Dew ” was slang for homemade moonshine. It was created initially as a mixer with whiskey, designed to go down easily with one’s beverage of choice.
3. Coca-Cola on the WWII Frontlines
During WWII, Coca-Cola sent “Coca-Cola Colonels” to set up bottling plants for troops. They established 64 lines worldwide and provided soda at five cents a bottle, even receiving an exemption from sugar rationing.
4. Fanta’s Wartime Origin
Fanta was created in Nazi Germany when Coca-Cola couldn’t import syrup due to trade restrictions. Using locally available ingredients, Coca-Cola Germany invented Fanta, a new soda just for the German market.
5. Fanta’s Controversial Ad
In Germany, Coca-Cola once ran an ad celebrating Fanta’s 75th anniversary, stating it wanted to bring back “the feeling of the good old times.” The ad was quickly pulled after backlash over its reference to WWII-era Germany.
6. Sprite: From Whiskey Mixer to Household Favorite
Originally, Sprite started out as a lemon-lime flavor of Fanta. In 1959, Fanta introduced this refreshing flavor, and by 1961, it was rebranded as Sprite.
7. RC Cola’s Defiant Beginning
RC Cola’s creator went independent after a Coca-Cola salesman refused him a discount for bulk syrup. Determined, he crafted his own formula, giving rise to the popular RC Cola.
8. White Coke: The Clear Cola for the USSR
In the 1940s, Soviet Marshal Georgy Zhukov requested a clear version of Coca-Cola to avoid the stigma of American branding. Coca-Cola obliged, creating a cola that looked like vodka.
9. Coca-Cola’s Influence Over Research
Coca-Cola funds significant university research but maintains the power to halt studies if the findings are unfavorable. This practice was revealed in a Public Health Policy journal report, sparking debate over corporate influence on scientific research.
10. Coca-Cola vs Pepsi
Between 1922 and 1933, Coca-Cola had three opportunities to acquire Pepsi but turned them down each time. Interestingly, Pepsi was originally called “Brad’s Drink.”