Coca Cola

Coca-Cola (often abbreviated to "Coke") is the world's most popular carbonated soft drink. It is sold in hundreds of countries around the world. The Coca-Cola Company's headquarters are located in Atlanta, Georgia. more...

Coca-Cola has been criticised for its possible negative health effects, with many urban myths surrounding it. In addition, The commercial dominance of the drink was periodically challenged, especially in the 1980s when Coca-Cola's main rival, Pepsi-Cola, claimed taste tests had proven people preferred Pepsi to Coke. The Coca-Cola Company's eventual reaction was to phase out Coca-Cola and institute "New Coke". However, widespread outrage and boycotts after the announcement of the rollout led the company to restore the original drink, while keeping New Coke on the market. The Coca-Cola Company has additionally been accused of taking excessive action (murder, kidnapping, and making death threats); to prevent unionisation of Coca-Cola plants, and also for other unethical business practices.

History

Early years

Columbus, Georgia druggist John Stith Pemberton invented a cocawine called Pemberton's French Wine Coca in 1884. He was inspired by the formidable success of French Angelo Mariani's cocawine, Vin Mariani.

The following year, when Atlanta and Fulton County passed Prohibition legislation, Pemberton began to develop a non-alcoholic version of the French Wine Coca. He named it Coca-Cola, because it included the stimulant coca leaves from South America and was flavored using kola nuts, a source of caffeine. Pemberton called for 5 ounces of coca leaf per gallon of syrup. The first sales were made at Jacob's Pharmacy in Atlanta, Georgia, on May 8, 1886, and for the first eight months only an average of nine drinks were sold each day. Pemberton ran the first advertisement for the beverage on May 29 that year in the Atlanta Journal.

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