The Surprisingly Interesting Science Behind Soda Packaging

by Panzer
Whether you call it soda, soda, pop, coke, or just pop.
This carbonated creation has been around for hundreds of years.
In that time, it's seen many evolutions in its use,
marketing, recipes, and most importantly, its packaging.
From pharmacy fountains to sleek, modern cans, soda has seen several significant
manufacturing inventions dating all the way back to the 18th century.
But why has it been the subject of so much innovation?
And who got to decide how many cans go in each box?
Well, today we're unboxing the question
why is soda packaged the way it is?
But before we get started, be sure to subscribe to the Weird
History Food Channel and let us know in the comments what other
kind of history you would like us to crack open next.
Okay, now if only they'd make a Dr.
Pepper bottle that glows in the dark.
Today, soda is mass produced and shipped all around the world
as part of a multi-billion dollar industry.
But its beginnings were much more humble and surprisingly healthy.
Carbonated beverages were first developed in the 1760s
by an English chemist named Joseph Priestley,
who was trying to replicate the natural properties of mineral water.
This mad soda scientist was able to infuse water with carbon dioxide
by suspending a bowl of distilled water over a vat of beer.
Over the decades, other scientists refined Priestley's experiments
and added flavoring like honey and lemon to their bubbly brews.
Soon, carbonated water, also known as soda
water, was being made, bought, and sold over the counter.
Originally, these drinks were intended to be medicinal in nature,
so the counter they were being sold over was that of your local pharmacy.
Soda water was meant to cure stomach aches and various other ailments.
But thanks in part to the invention of root beer in the mid 1800s,
the attitude toward carbonated beverages started to shift in a decidedly more
delicious direction.
Though root beer was also originally sold as a cure-all,
the sarsaparilla sweetened drink showed consumers that its main benefits
were more of the thirst quenching variety.
Suddenly, soft drinks were a tasty treat instead of a stomach soothing serum.
In 1886, American pharmacist John Pemberton
rocked the world with his contribution to the growing soda industry,