CRAVING COCA-COLA
Arguably one of the most beloved carbonated drinks on the market, today Coca-cola sells more than 1.9 billion servings, enjoyed in 200 countries every single day. The original recipe of the drink, however, would not be so well received these days. Coca-cola began as a way for its pharmacist creator John Pemberton to tackle his dependence on morphine. He’d been injured in the Battle of Columbus in the late-19th century, and like many veterans, Pemberton became dependent on pain relief medicines such as morphine. Seeking an alternative to this addictive opiate, Pemberton came across a tonic called French Wine Coca, made by Parisian chemist Angelo Mariani. The tonic promised health rejuvenation from its Bordeaux wine and coca-leaf extract mixture. The energy-boosting effects of the drink were likely due to the presence of cocaine, the active ingredient in coca-leaf extract. Until 1914 cocaine was not illegal, and was often used in tonics and pills to treat a myriad of medical conditions causing nausea, asthma and constipation. Pemberton created his version of the wine to sell commercially, but a local prohibition law in 1887 saw quick removal of the tonic because of its alcoholic content. Quickly reformulating the popular beverage, Pemberton substituted the drink’s alcohol content, replacing it with sugar syrup and adding caffeine-rich kola-nut extract. The coca-leaf extract remained in the beverage, and the drink became completely cocaine-free in 1929, when scientists removed the psychoactive components of the leaf extract.