The Story Behind Why We Call Soda A Soft Drink

Soda, pop, soda pop, some Southerners even call every type of soda, regardless of brand or flavor, a "coke." Your favorite fizzy beverage goes by many names, the designation often determined by region. The term "soft drink" refers to any nonalcoholic, carbonated beverage. With all those crisp bubbles crackling and buzzing around in a soda straight from the fountain, it might seem like there's nothing very "soft" about "soft drinks." However, the moniker isn't a reference to the drink's texture. The descriptor began as a means to separate sodas from "hard" liquors and alcoholic beverages.

A version of the soft drink has been around for centuries, long before the internet began crafting marshmallow fluff-lined "fluffy cokes." Before the brands you now buy were developed, and before restaurants began asking, "is Pepsi okay?," 17th century Europeans began attempts to replicate the properties of naturally occurring springs. These efforts were inspired in part because of the believed health benefits of this bubbly, mineral water. In 1772, English scientist Joseph Priestley developed a process for infusing water with carbon dioxide.

Joseph Priestly's successful invention of carbonated water led to the eventual production of the soft drinks we see in stores today. Swiss jeweler and watchmaker, Jacob Schweppe read Priestly's research, and by 1780 Schweppe used these findings to develop an improved carbonation system. Schweppe began selling his carbonated water under the Schweppes brand name (which is still around today and known primarily for its ginger ale) in the 1790s. As mass production of carbonated beverages improved, developers began to add flavors, and in 1886, Coca-Cola was invented by a Georgia pharmacist, John Pemberton.

Prohibition took effect beginning in 1920. The era also marked a period of major growth for the production of soft drinks. As saloons shuttered and breweries suffered, Americans looked for a replacement. As a result, sugary beverages experienced a boom in popularity. Some breweries, like the Miller Brewing Company, redirected production to sell soft drinks, malted milk, and malt syrup. Pharmacies began to install soda fountains, positioning them as a replacement for the community and consumption the saloon once presented. Soda fountains offered soft drinks, ice cream (mixologists often mixed the two in fizzy soda floats), and an opportunity for social gathering.