Posted 7/9/2025

The rivalry between Coca-Cola and Pepsi is a storied one, stretching back over a century. Coca-Cola, or Coke for short, was invented in May 1886 by Confederate Colonel Dr. John S. Pemberton, a pharmacist in Atlanta, Georgia. Coca-Cola and Coke are names both trademarked by the company. Initially, Coke was intended to be an elixir and was marketed as a medicine for ailments, reflecting the medicinal trends of the era. Coca-Cola is sometimes used for the treatment of gastric phytobezoars. In about 50% of cases studied, Coca-Cola alone was found to be effective in gastric phytobezoar dissolution. Coca-Cola once contained coca leaves, from the cocaine plant, which is part of the way it got its name. An interesting fact is that a plant in Maywood, New Jersey, is the only manufacturing plant authorized by the federal government to import and process coca leaves to make Coca-Cola and they do so until this day. The "cola" part of Coca-Cola comes from its other major ingredient, a kola nut used for flavoring and caffeine. Asa Candler eventually became the owner of Coca-Cola after Pemberton's death paying only a few thousand dollars for the company. Today, Coca-Cola is worth a little over 300 billion dollars. 

Coca-Cola's primary competitor, Pepsi, was created in 1893 by Caleb Bradham and was first sold in a drug store. Pepsi was meant to aid in digestion and boost energy. Pepsi couldn't afford the rising costs of sugar after World War I which forced them into bankruptcy in 1923. Pepsi re-emerged and gained success during the Great Depression by selling their product in a 12-ounce bottle for a nickel. Pepsi grew larger as they began to advertise to Blacks, recognizing the significant potential of the Black consumer market. Pepsi became even more popular when they rolled out "the Pepsi Challenge" in 1975, which pitted Pepsi in a head-to-head taste contest against Coca-Cola. Coca-Cola changed their formula to "New Coke" in 1985 but later discontinued the product in 2002. Both Pepsi and Coca-Cola are mainstays in American society, so much so that these popular soft drinks have found their way into some of our recipes. Despite the intensity of their rivalry, Coca-Cola was actually offered the chance to buy Pepsi on three separate occasions but didn't, while Pepsi was offered Coca-Cola's formula but didn't accept it, ensuring their continued, independent 'battle' for market dominance.