Here’s a bit of history to digest.
Pepsi-Cola, more commonly known by its shortened name Pepsi, was created in 1898 by small-town pharmacist Caleb Bradham in New Bern, North Carolina in part to help with digestion.
Bradham called his concoction — a mix of sugar, water, caramel, lemon oil, kola nuts and other additives — “Brad’s Drink” and sold it at his drug store, which has since been made into a local tourist attraction “The Birthplace of Pepsi” detailing the history of the bubbly drink.
On August 28, 1898, Bradham decided to rename his beverage “Pepsi-Cola.” The new name got its roots from the word dyspepsia, which means indigestion, along with its key ingredient of kola nuts, according to The Birthplace of Pepsi website.
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He wanted to market the drink not just as a refreshment but as a cola with health benefits, including aiding in digestion, the site states.
Bradham had also purchased the name “Pep Kola” from a local competitor and changed it to Pepsi-Cola, according to the present-day company.
The local pharmacist saw great interest in his soda pop and decided to devote all of his energy to making the drink into a full-fledged business and applied for a trademark in 1902, creating the Pepsi-Cola company, according to The Birthplace’s history.
Now PepsiCo, the company announced last March that its signature fizzy drink would be getting a healthy makeover with 57% less sugar in each bottle.
