PREVIOUS

NEXT

FACTS

10 Fascinating Facts About Soda

MIKE DEVLIN MAY 9, 2013

Soda is big business; the combined revenues of Coca-Cola and PepsiCo alone topped 100 billion last year, a staggering feat when you consider the price point of a soft drink is only a buck or two. Arguably the most recognizable brand name in the world, Coca-Cola has become an indelible part of human culture; its history rendered into stories, myths, and urban legends that have been defined as cokelore. Very few people go more than a day or two without a soda; while often considered an unhealthy indulgence in the west, in some third world nations where drinking water is unsafe, such beverages provide a lifeline. Below are ten of the more interesting facts about one of the worlds most popular drinks.

10

Brands

If you were to survey the refrigerated section in your local convenience store, you might figure there are at most a few hundred different kinds of soda. However, Coca-Cola alone has some 3,500

different soft drinks in its international arsenal; if you were to try one every day, it would take 9 years to sample them all (by which time there would surely be more). There are many exotic sodas to be found worldwide, particularly in Japan, which seems to have an affinity for novel beverages. Soda flavors in the land of the rising sun include: yogurt, green tea, octopus, wasabi, kimchi, cheese, cucumber, and eel, amongst others.

7-Up and Lithium

Lithium citrate is a mood stabilizing drug used to treat depression and bipolar disorders, sold under trade names Litarex and Demalit. Today it requires a prescription, but years ago it was a common ingredient in many medicated beverages, including Bib-Label Lithiated Lemon Soda. Today, we know it as 7UP (it is interesting to note that no one really knows where that name came from). It contained lithium until 1948.

Dr. Pepper

One of the greatest culinary mysteries of all time, the 23 ingredients that comprise Dr. Pepper have been speculated upon for decades. One of the ugly rumors spread about the soda is that it contains prune juice. While this is not in fact one of the components, the others are up for debate, but most probably include cola, vanilla, cherry, orange, caramel, and lemon amongst others. On the companys FAQ website, the question of flavor is answered rather cryptically: Dr. Pepper is a unique blend of 23 flavors. The exact formula for Dr. Pepper? Thats top secret proprietary stuff.

Grossest Soda

Taste is extraordinarily subjective, but there is one soda that has acquired a reputation as one of the most vile in the world. Manufactured for the Italian market by the Coca-Cola Company, Beverly is described as a non-alcoholic aperitif. It is available in the United States at the World of Coca-Cola museums in Atlanta and Las Vegas, and those who have deigned to try it are almost universally shocked by its bitter, astringent flavor. YouTube abounds with amusing videos of those enjoying a taste test.

Passover Coke

During the weeklong Jewish festival of Passover, which celebrates the exodus from slavery in Egypt, Jews are forbidden from the consumption of leavened bread (chamtez grains). Ashkenazic Jews (those from Eastern Europe) are also forbidden from eating corn, beans, and rice during this time (Sephardic Jews are allowed). Because Coca-Cola is sweetened with high fructose corn syrup (at least in the U.S.), it is not considered kosher. However, kosher Coke is produced in March and April to coincide with the Passover season. It is sweetened with pure cane sugar, and can be identified by a yellow cap. Many non-Jews also enjoy the subtle change in flavor, and during the short period of time it is available, it is heavily stockpiled.

Variable-Price Coke Machines

In the late nineties, Coca-Cola got the bright idea to install vending machines whose price was dependent on the temperature. That is, as the mercury rose, a the price of a soda would become exponentially higher, raised via a computerized temperature sensor within the machine. The proposal was a public relations nightmare; people hailed it as a perfect example of price gouging and corporate greed, and Coca-Cola backpedaled quickly

Magican

In 1990, as part of its Magic Summer promotion, Coca-Cola began its Magican program. Relying on the desire for instant gratification, they installed spring-loaded mechanisms in special cans that contained prizes, such as cash and concert tickets. To keep people from detecting the prize-winning cans without buying them, they installed chambers filled with chlorinated water. Unfortunately, the mechanisms that released the prizes werent always reliable, and sometimes people drank the water instead. It wasnt poisonous, but it was foul, and it resulted in at least one trip to the hospital for an unsuspecting family. Coca-Cola printed advertisements warning consumers to take a good look at their cans before drinking, but the disastrous campaign ultimately folded after just three weeks.

Pepsi Points

Another short-sighted promotion took place in 1996, when Pepsi unveiled its points program. The premise was simple; buying Pepsi products would earn you a number of points which could be redeemed for merchandise like t-shirts and hats. When they released a commercial to unveil the concept; they included a tongue-in-cheek climax which featured a Harrier military jump jet, available for 7 million points. That would be more Pepsi than you could drink in 50 lifetimes, but business student John Leonard noticed a loophole: you could purchase Pepsi points from the company for 10 cents apiece. At this price, the $33.8 million Harrier jet could be had for the bargain basement price of $700,000. He gathered a group of investors and turned over a check for his jet. Pepsi refused, and the case was brought to court. In 1999, it was settled when a judge ruled that no reasonable person could have expected the prize.

Diet Soda Cocktails

Recent research conducted by Northern Kentucky University indicates that drinking cocktails made with diet soda versus regular can get you 18% drunker. Participants in the study were given equal amounts of vodka, some mixed with Squirt (an unfortunately named citrus soda), and some mixed

with diet Squirt. After 40 minutes, those who had consumed the diet cocktails registered much higher blood alcohol concentrations. The science here is really quite simple: the body views the sugar present in regular soda as food, and thus slows the absorption of alcohol into the bloodstream. This study is especially important to women, who are more likely to order diet cocktails, and whose bodies react to the potency in alcohol more than mens.

Nazi Fanta

When trade embargoes against Nazi Germany separated Coca-Cola Deutschland from headquarters in Atlanta, the ingredients to produce Coke quickly dissipated. German born Max Keith, in charge of operations, developed a soda that could be made with the limited ingredients they had at their disposal. The result was Fanta, a play on the German word Fantasie. It was made with odds and ends: beet sugar, orange juice, leftover apple fiber, and even whey byproduct from cheese production. The recipe has since been updated (the original would probably taste something like laundry water to modern palates). It is noteworthy to add that despite governmental pressures, Keith never joined the Nazi party and remained loyal to Coca-Cola. When the war ended, he handed back control of his operations to headquarters.

Mike Devlin is an aspiring novelist. He is partial to ginger ale.

ENJOYED THIS LIST?

SHARE

MORE GREAT LISTS

FACTS

25 Fascinating and Fun Factlets

APRIL 29, 2011

FACTS

Top 10 Fascinating Facts About Houdini

AUGUST 15, 2012

FACTS

10 Insane Facts About North Korea

APRIL 16, 2013

FACTS

Top 10 Amazing Facts About Dreams

NOVEMBER 14, 2007

123 comments Leave a message...

Share

Best

Community louis

2 days ago

If Coke is a lifeline in third world countries because they don't have access to clean drinking water why doesn't Coke use its well established distribution network to make bottled water more accessible to them instead of an unhealthy and dehydrating sugary drink. Saying that Soda is a lifesaver for poor people with limited access to clean water must be one of the stupidest thing I've ever heard.
60 1 P illow Reply Share

louis 2 days ago

This happens. They also send medical supplies using Cokes' distribution. They also made this sweet ass thing that is like a little trolley that you push (well the poor

African people do) and it has two wheels and as they turn it rotates a bottle in between the wheels and this purifies the dirty water that is in the bottle and they drink it and it means that they wont get sick or anything from drinking dirty water. I don't know what would happen if you put coke in it though. Would it turn to water? HERE IS A PICTURE TO SHOW YOU. THEY FORGOT TO COLOUR IN THE AFRICAN PERSON THOUGH.

15 GK W 212

Reply

Share

louis 2 days ago

You forget that they are so malnourished over there that they need the salt and sugar present in colas. We view cola as "bad for you" because we have the diet to support proper nutrition and colas are redundant for most of us. Similar to Gatorade, it's bad for you if you are a couch potato but is good after strenuous activity because it's a good way to quickly replenish basic nutrients (salt, sugars/carbs etc.)
11 1 Reply Share

max duk e

louis a day ago

have u ever considered the price of bottled water in your country...and compared it with the price in 3rd world??
Reply s egue Share
max duke 18 hours ago

Okay, since you seem to have a handle on this, please give us examples of the cost to the consumer of bottled water, of identical size and quality, from whatever developed country you call home and a third world nation...Somalia, for example. I, for one, would be interested I. the difference.
Reply max duk e Share
segue 12 hours ago

well, I dont know about somalia..but in a country like India..the bigger the bottle of water is..cheaper its price becomes comparatively wrt to its volume. The smallest of half a litr is available for roughly around 8Rs, 1 ltr is around 15-20Rs, and a 20 Ltr is close to 1-1.5USD (around 60Rs). Now for a decently earning family, its absolutly fine, but for a poor people of India or country like Somalia, 1USD per day is good enough money, and if thats the case, then they consider to have some better stuff like food or other things and try to source the water from polluted source rather than bottle. The point is..the price of water is very very high..and mostly its these cola companies that have the bottling plants...Just a thought..may not be a fact or a study of socioeconomic
1 The Oc ean 30

Reply

Share

2 days ago

Cool list, but nothing beats a nice, tall glass of cool refreshing H 2 0.
Reply Share

Luvs Horror 11 GK W 212

The Ocean 2 days ago

With added chemicals to make it safer.

Reply Share

The Ocean 2 days ago

Coach Klein: Gatorade not only quenches your thirst better, it tastes better too. Bobby Boucher: No, you people are drinkin the wrong water. Coach Klein: Gatorade. Bobby Boucher: H2O. Coach Klein: Gatorade. Bobby Boucher: H2O. Coach Klein: [singing] Water sucks. It really, really sucks. Water sucks.
11 2 Reply Share
GKW212 2 days ago

as ianc hic k 9 1

Worst joke ever

Reply Share
asianchick 2 days ago

GK W 212

Aww, no love for a little Waterboy quote? I was just trying to lighten the mood after Debbie Downer's quote about chemicals.
14 as ianc hic k 2 Fris k y 3 as ianc hic k Reply Share

GKW212 a day ago

she is a downer! alright 1 for you

Reply Share

asianchick 2 days ago

Ooh, an Asian chick. Are you hot? You wanna, like, get it on?
Reply Share

Frisky a day ago

Baby u wouldnt ever stand a chance. i take it u have never been with one before. we have no limits and yea most ppl do think im hot...giggity
7 K ebap

Reply

Share

2 days ago

What a great judge !! If Pepsi's offer wasn't reasonable then why did they advertise it in the first place ?
18 Manc hez

Reply

Share

2 days ago

Reasonable? Pepsi must have bribed the court.

25 1 Reply Share
Manchez a day ago

inc ons pic uous det ec t ive 3 alphaman 11 1

damn straight. dude legally had every right to that jet.

Reply
2 days ago

Share

For the origin of the name of 7up, the atomic weight of lithium is 6.94 or 7
Reply
Mod

Share
alphaman 2 days ago

Mom424

Nope, list author got it right. But a cool premise nonetheless. http://www.snopes.com/business...
3 P illow 1 1 Reply Share

alphaman 2 days ago

It's named after the time you get UP in the morning. I thought everyone knew that lol
Reply Share
Pillow 2 days ago

alphaman 2

I get up at 5 am
Reply P illow 4 Share

alphaman 2 days ago

That's too early for pop. Bad luck old chum.

Reply Share
Pillow a day ago

inc ons pic uous det ec t ive Reply Mom424

Mod

you have a pretty awesome name. anyway....

Share

2 days ago

Excellent list; better than anticipated. I imagine there's more than enough for a follow-up too. More than just North American beverages out there. Canadian coke uses real sugar in its cokewe have cross-border shoppers buying it up. Personally just don't buy soda. Not only does the sugar rot your teeth, the acid in it just finishes the job. Diet soda still has that acid. And it's lunch. 200 calories is a meal, not a drink.
7 1 Reply Share
Mom424 2 days ago

ilovemom424 2 GK W 212

I love you Mom424

Reply Share

Mom424 2 days ago

Yikes, if I only had 200 calories a meal, I'd be dead by now. Granted, I'm a runner/racer/marathoner ;)
2 Reply Share

Mom424

Mod

GKW212 2 days ago

Ok, I agree. I work out, ride my bike etc. I eat. But I don't waste 200 calories on a can of soda. Hard fried-egg, salsa, and an apple for dessert have the same number of calories.
Reply P illow Share

Mom424 2 days ago

What do you mean has real sugar in it? The normal red can coke? What else is it supposed to have in it instead? Don't tell me that in america coke has no sugar?
3 1 Reply Share

s egue

Pillow 2 days ago

American Coke is made, now, HFCS, I think. For a while it was made with beet sugar. Originally, and still in many countries, it was made with cane sugar. There is a major difference in taste between beet and cane sugars, and a still greater taste difference between cane sugar and HFCS. Try it out yourself, you can buy examples of each in many markets in the US. Once you taste the difference side by side you will always be able to tell which is which.
4 1 Reply Share

P illow 2 s egue

segue 2 days ago

Thanks. What work were you doing in Mexico btw

Reply Share

Pillow a day ago

Shooting a commercial. We spent most of the time in Zacatecas, a very old colonial city. Fantastic architecture from France, Italy, Spain. It boasts an ancient observatory from which the very first photo of a "UFO" was taken. Zacatecas is one of my favorite cities. There is a wonderful nightclub, La Mina, in a played out silver mine. You take a little miners train deep into the mountain. The floors, except for the dance floor, are metal grates. If you drop a coin through the grate it takes a very, very long time to hear the "splash" of the coin hitting the water far below. From there we went to Cancun. It was a huge disappointment after beautiful Zacatecas. The job ended there. I then drove through the Yucatan jungle to Tulum and Chitzen-Itza. All in all, I love Mexico.
Reply P illow Share

segue a day ago

Shooting a commercial? FOR WHAT. Are you famous?

Reply s egue Share

Pillow 20 hours ago

It was for American Express. The amount of footage we shot was

astounding. It was cut, originally, into 6 two minute spots and more 1 minute and 30 second spots than I can recall. In fact, even years later, some of the footage was showing up in other AE commercials and/ or recut, reshuffled into new spots. Other footage was shot in the US Southwest, dams, slot canyons, deserts. I am not famous. I was a script supervisor, a continuity supervisor. I did get to meet famous people, but I never wanted to be one of them!
Reply Share
segue 16 hours ago

P illow c ant remember us er pas s

Do you have a link to watch the video? Maybe its on youtube? I bet you are a very interesting person to know in real life. I wish I did. Good luck.
Reply s egue Share

Pillow cant remember user pass 15 hours ago

I just spent the last 45 minutes trying to find a link. They used to be available on youtube, but it's a long time ago and maybe they fall off after a few years unless resubmitted, I don't know. They were really beautiful. Something I have discovered over the years is that just about everyone is interesting if you give them a chance to tell their story. I'll admit I have had some interesting experiences, but I'd bet that just about every poster here has something in their background that is fascinating too. Thanks. ll the best to you!
2 john_k oenig Reply Share

Pillow 2 days ago

HFCS. I buy the Mexican import Coke at Kroger when it's on sale. It has cane sugar.
2 Reply P illow Share

john_koenig a day ago

Hipster
1 s egue Reply Share

john_koenig 15 hours ago

Is Krogers like a supermarket or a Target or ? I've heard the name, but I've never seen one.
Reply john_k oenig Share

segue 14 hours ago

Supermarket. Largest chain in America which also operates Fred Meyer and Ralph's.
2 s egue Reply Share

john_koenig 2 hours ago

Thanks. I only know Ralph's of the the three you mentioned.

Reply Share

ilovemom424 Reply S erious ly 4

Mom424 15 hours ago

i love you Mom424

Share

2 days ago

Thank you Frater, no ads seem to be in the way today!

Reply P illow Share

Seriously 2 days ago

This list is one big ad!! I can just imagine all the crates of pop piled up at Frater Towers!
6 Reply Share
Mod

Jamie Frat er 3 S omet hing

Pillow 13 hours ago

I would reply but I am too stuffed full of cola to be able to!

Reply Share

2 days ago

This list is too coke! Please don't make me explain my joke...

Listverse is a Trademark of Listverse Ltd. Copyright (c) 20072013 Listverse Ltd All Rights Reserved. Web Design by FHOKE