Pepsi’s first bottled version was called Pepsi-Cola when it was introduced in 1905.
Caleb Bradham created the beverage in New Bern, North Carolina, and originally sold it at his pharmacy. After the drink became known as Pepsi-Cola, bottling allowed it to reach customers beyond the soda fountain and pharmacy counter.
The 1905 milestone is distinct from the drink’s creation in 1898 and from its later national expansion. Bradham’s early bottling efforts helped establish the brand as a packaged soft drink, but Pepsi’s distribution network developed gradually through independent bottlers.
Another common mix-up is “Brad’s Drink,” which was the beverage’s original name before Pepsi-Cola. Crystal Pepsi and Pepsi Max are much later products. The name Pepsi-Cola reflects the brand’s early identity and its positioning as a cola beverage competing in the same broad category as Coca-Cola.