Colonel John Pemberton was wounded in the American Civil
War. During his recovery he became addicted to morphine. A resourceful man as
well as a pharmacist, Pemberton began to search for a less dangerous alternative.
His first attempt in 1885 was registered as French Wine Coca Nerve Tonic. The
following year he produced a non-alcoholic carbonated version. Pemberton
claimed his elixir could cure almost anything, including morphine addiction,
headache, impotence, indigestion, fatigue and depression. The two “medicinal”
ingredients in his concoction, coca leaves and kola nuts, also provided the
drink with a catchy name: Coca-Cola. Coke has been completely cocaine-free since
1929, though it probably didn’t have all that much to begin with. Today marks the 128th
anniversary of the invention of Coca-Cola. I’m not sure how to celebrate. I’m
sure I have a recipe somewhere for slow-cooker roast beef that calls for a can
of Coke. Maybe I can find it by this time next year.
No comments:
Post a Comment