Invented by: Dr John Pemberton (Coca Cola)

Information: In 1886, Dr Pemberton was trying to make cough medicine taste much nicer. His patients did not want to take it because it tasted so bad. He made a sweet syrup, into which he put caffeine (stimulant found in coffee) coca leaves and the kola nut for flavour. He mixed all of this with fizzy water to make a refreshing drink. A friend suggested the idea of calling the drink 'Coca Cola'. To begin with, you could only buy it at soda fountains in America, but then at another friend's suggestion, he sold the exclusive bottling rights to one company, and everybody could then buy and drink it.

Dr Pemberton was not much of a businessman and the recipe was never patented, although some of the ingredients of the syrup were kept secret. In 1887, at the age of 51, when the Doctor was dying of cancer, he sold 2 thirds of his company to provide money for his family, but when his wife eventually died, she had no money left to live on. A rival company made a very near copy 3 years after Dr Pemberton's drink appeared in shops. This company named their product 'Pepsi Cola', and the two companies have been major rivals ever since.

Victorians Inventions Page