Which soft drink was invented in Atlanta, Georgia in 1886?

Coca-Cola was invented in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1886. Pharmacist John Stith Pemberton developed the drink there, and it was first sold at Jacob’s Pharmacy on May 8, 1886.

Pemberton originally marketed Coca-Cola as a patent medicine and temperance beverage at a time when soda fountains and medicinal tonics were popular. The name referred to two original ingredients: coca leaves and kola nuts. Frank Mason Robinson, Pemberton’s bookkeeper, is credited with naming the drink and designing its distinctive Spencerian script logo.

The first formula was not yet the global soft-drink brand people recognize today. Businessman Asa Griggs Candler acquired the formula and brand rights during the late 1880s and incorporated the Coca-Cola Company in Atlanta in 1892. His aggressive advertising and distribution strategy helped turn the local pharmacy drink into a national product.

A common mix-up is confusing the drink’s inventor with the company’s founder. Pemberton created Coca-Cola, while Candler built the company that commercialized it. The modern formula is a closely guarded trade secret.