Many popular drinks, which today seem like symbols of pleasure and carefreeness, were actually born in completely different circumstances. They were not created for parties or for advertising on billboards, but as medical products, medicinal tinctures or tonic for fatigue. But history ordered otherwise: from pharmacies they got into bars, from apothecary bottles — into iconic logos.
Coca-Cola: a tonic from morphine addiction that conquered the world
In 1886, American apothecary John Stith Pemberton of Atlanta created a drink that was supposed to help him get rid of his addiction to morphine. Pemberton was a Civil War veteran and was treated with opiates after being wounded. Looking for a safer alternative, he developed “French wine with coca” leaves (Pemberton's French Wine Coca) — mix of wine, coca leaf extract and cola nuts, which were supposed to encourage and improve well-being.
When «dry law» was introduced in Atlanta, Pemberton changed the formula by removing alcohol, — and was born Coca-Cola. Sugar syrup with coca (in microdoses) and cola nuts was sold in pharmacies as a “brain tonic” and a remedy for nervous exhaustion.
The company eventually replaced the drug components with safer ones, and the drink became the personification of the American dream, marketing innovation and globalization. The irony is that the product created as a treatment for addiction itself gave birth to another — cultured, sweet and mass.
Jägermeister: a hunter's elixir that has become a symbol of parties
Name Jägermeister translated as “senior hunter”, that is, a hunting rank in Germany. This liqueur was invented by Kurt Mast in 1934 — heir to a family that produced vinegar and herbal tinctures. Initially, the drink had a medicinal purpose: it consisted of 56 ingredients — herbs, flowers, bark, roots and fruits — and was used to facilitate digestion, treat coughs and colds.
Kurt's father suffered from stomach pains, so he experimented with recipes, looking for the perfect balance of bitterness and sweetness. The resulting liqueur was so saturated that it began to be recommended as a “bitter aperitif for health”. The emblem with a deer and a shining cross — is a reference to the legend of Saint Hubert, the patron saint of hunters.
Only in the 20th century Jägermeister it became a youth symbol: first in Germany, and then in the USA, where the brand aggressively promoted itself through rock festivals and nightclubs. This is how the medicinal tincture turned into one of the most popular shots in the world.
Pepsi: The Stomach Tonic that Defied Coca-Cola
History Pepsi it began in 1893 in North Carolina. Pharmacist Caleb Bradham experimented with tonics that were supposed to improve digestion and relieve fatigue. His drink called Brad's Drink it consisted of water, sugar, vanilla, cola oil, lemon juice and several secret ingredients.
Five years later, Bradham renamed the drink to Pepsi-Cola, combining words dyspepsia (indigestion) and “cola”. He positioned it as a “remedy for health, energy and digestion” — a kind of pharmacy elixir that could be drunk every day.
However, the Great Depression destroyed Bradham's business: he went bankrupt due to fluctuations in sugar prices. The brand was bought by other entrepreneurs, and Pepsi gradually turned into a modern gas tank —, a symbol of youth, drive and competition with Coca-Cola. But its healing roots remained in the name itself.
Vermouth: a fragrant wine that treated more than pleased
The word “vermouth” comes from German Wermut <TAG1> — wormwood“. Even the ancient Greeks and Romans infused wine with herbs, considering it medicinal. But modern vermouth came in 1786 in Turin when Italian winemaker Antonio Benedetto Carpano created a mixture of white wine, alcohol, sugar and over 30 herbs.
Carpano claimed that the drink “improves appetite, refreshes the blood and calms the nerves”. At first it was sold in pharmacies and used as a remedy for colds and weakness. The Turin aristocracy quickly appreciated the aroma and taste of the new wine —, so the medicinal drink became a fashionable aperitif, which was served before dinner.
Today, vermouth — is the basis of classic cocktails Martini, Negroni chi Manhattan, but he began his journey as a healing tonic that was supposed to heal the body and spirit.
7Up: lemonade with lithium for depression
One of the most unexpected cases of — 7Up. It was invented in 1929 by Charles Leagree Grigg, naming Bib-Label Lithiated Lemon-Lime Soda. The drink contained lithium citrate —, a compound that was used at the time to treat depression, nervous disorders, and even manic conditions. Grigg advertised it as a “lifts the mood and calms the nerves”.
Seven years later, the name was shortened to 7Up, although the origin of the number is still controversial (one version of — 7 ingredients and “rising” mood). Lithium remained in the composition until 1948, when medical research recognized it as dangerous in food products.
Despite this, 7Up has survived its “pharmacy” times and has become a symbol of a clean, “transparent” gas tank — as opposed to color competitors. Her story reminds us that the line between medicine and drink was once surprisingly thin.
