13 Weird Facts About Soda That'll Make You Say, "Holy Shit"

    Some sodas were thought to be a cure for syphilis.

    Andy Golder
    by Andy Golder

    BuzzFeed Staff

    1. 7UP used to have mood stabilizers in it.

    Maura / Flickr: fragmented

    Back when it launched in 1929 (two weeks before the stock market crash that led to the Great Depression), 7UP was known as "Bib-Label Lithiated Lemon-Lime Soda." That "lithiated" bit refers to the fact that the drink had lithium citrate in it, a drug used mostly as a mood stabilizer for people with bipolar disorder. In fact, 7UP kept the lithium citrate for its first 30 or so years of existence, until the brand dropped the ingredient in 1950.

    2. Coca-Cola produces a kosher version for Passover.

    Flickr: benfrantzdale

    Back in the 1930s, an Atlanta rabbi lobbied the Coca-Cola company to produce a special version of Coke that used sweeteners that weren't derived from grains, so that Jewish people could drink it during Passover. The result was a kosher Coke formula that is still available today...just look for the yellow cap.

    3. Fanta was created because of Nazis.

    Andy Wright / Flickr: rightee

    During WWII, bottling Coca-Cola in Germany became difficult due to lack of supplies. The head of operations at the German division of the company, Max Keith, decided to create a new soda that could be made with more obtainable ingredients. Thus, Fanta was born.

    4. Coca-Cola is mostly responsible for the modern image of Santa Claus.

    Mike Mozart / Flickr: jeepersmedia

    Before the 1930's, Santa was often depicted wearing green or brown and was more solemn and stern. In 1931, Coca-Cola hired artist Haddon Sundblom to create art for their Christmas advertisements depicting Santa Claus drinking Coke. Working off of the poem "A Visit From St. Nicholas" (colloquially known as "'Twas the Night Before Christmas"), Sundblom created a Santa that was much more jolly and friendly...and while Sundblom didn't invent the red suit, he did popularize it to the point where almost any modern depiction of Santa features the same outfit.

    5. Mountain Dew was made to go with whiskey.

    Justin Sullivan / Getty Images

    The citrus soda was made by two brothers from Tennessee, Ally and Barney Hartman, who enjoyed chasing their whiskey with lemon-lime soda so much that they decided to make their own. Even the name, "Mountain Dew," is slang for moonshine.

    6. Coca-Cola's predecessor originally had both alcohol and cocaine in it.

    john-adcock.blogspot.com

    John Pemberton, the inventor of Coca-Cola, first made a product called "French Wine Coca" that contained alcohol and cocaine. However, a local prohibition law made alcohol illegal in his county, so Pemberton dropped the booze and created Coca-Cola. The cocaine was still present in trace amounts up until 1929.

    7. There are only two countries in the world where Coca-Cola doesn't conduct business.

    Str / AFP / Getty Images

    Those two countries are North Korea and Cuba, which are both off-limits due to sanctions and trade embargo.

    8. Michigan-based Faygo has sweet, fruity flavors because the company's founders were bakers and based their drinks on frosting flavors.

    instagram.com

    Their first three flavors were grape, fruit punch, and strawberry.

    9. Speaking of Faygo, it might be the reason Midwesterners say "pop" instead of "soda."

    instagram.com

    Many credit the brand as the inventor of the twist-off cap. The popping sound the cap makes could be the reason why Midwesterners call it "pop."

    10. Sodas were originally marketed as health products.

    collectorsweekly.com

    Fizzy drinks were thought to cure a huge range of ailments, from indigestion to hypertension. Sarsaparillas were even linked to curing syphilis.

    11. Dr Pepper tried to market itself as a warm beverage.

    Flickr: obsequies

    Advertisements in the 1960's for Dr Pepper encouraged customers to warm up the soda and add lemon for a hot drink in the winter.

    12. In the 1980s, Coca-Cola put out advertisements to brand itself as a breakfast drink.

    Joe Raedle / Getty Images

    The company started their "Coke in the Morning" campaign in an effort to convince people to get their morning caffeine from Coke instead of coffee.

    13. The dimples on Sprite bottles are supposed to represent the drink's carbonation.

    instagram.com

    Just in case you were wondering.