Fact of the Day More Information His name was Doc Pemberton. "Doc" because he purchased a cheap $5 doctors license once. His original Coca-Cola was marketed as headache medicine with it's number one ingredient, cocaine; and caffeine from the Kola tree. The 1880s must have had just as many cocaine addicts as the 1980s, only they didn't know it. People were addicted to Coca-Cola, what could boost sales more?
Unfortunately, Pemberton was known to slack off chronically and he eventually vowed to sell the company to the highest bidder. This action is sometimes attributed to Pemberton ever growing morphine dependence at the time.
Asa Chandler, the man who bought the company, changed the formula. This was not done because of the cocaine, this was done to simply make the drink taste better. Apparently liquid cocaine didn't taste as refreshing as it was. Chandler was piloting the drink to the mass market with a new take, best tasting refreshment. He lucked out.
When Pepsi-Cola first came out it was marketed as an aid for digestion. The word "pepsi" mocks the word "pepsin" the digestive enzyme, although none is present in the beverage. View All Facts View Images View Maps Blog
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