Cold beverages are a common sight in your Augusta vending machine. Have you ever wondered how they got there? Here are some fun facts about popular beverages and their origins.
3 Fun Facts About Cold Beverages
When you think of cold drinks, you probably imagine soda. This carbonated beverage is refreshing and tasty. Yet, where did it come from? Let’s take a look.
1. Seltzer Water was the First Soft Drink
If we define soft drinks as carbonated beverages, seltzer water was the first. The very first carbonated water can be found naturally in springs. Years ago, people used this water for medicinal purposes.
Joseph Priestley discovered how to make carbonated water artificially in 1767. At first, Priestley shared the water he made with his friends. Later, it helped create sodas.
What else is in seltzer water? Most of these waters also contain certain minerals. When added to water, they create a pleasant flavor. Plus, the minerals help offset the acidity created by the carbon dioxide gas.
Today, seltzer waters may come in tasty flavors like citrus or berries. Seltzer waters are also often sugar-free, making them a healthy choice. It’s great to offer this drink in an Augusta micro-market or vending machines.
2. Dr Pepper was the First Soda
Now that we know seltzer water was the first soft drink, which was the first soda? The first sweet, carbonated soda like we know today, was Dr Pepper. Served in 1885, Charles Alderton made Dr Pepper in a pharmacy in Texas. Soon after, came another famous flavor, Coca-Cola.
3. A Cold Beverage Vending Machine Didn’t Exist Until the 1950s
The first soft drinks had to be mixed on the spot. Often sold in pharmacies, servers mixed syrup and carbonated water. By the 1920s, drink machines were invented. Similar to a cold brew coffee tap, these machines served beverages directly into cups, so not quite the cold drink vending machines we see today.
Believe it or not, coffee was sold in vending machines before bottled soda. The first coffee vending machine appeared in 1946. It might not have measured up to the gourmet coffee you can enjoy in your office coffee service, but it did serve hot coffee on demand.
Bottled soda became popular in the 1830s and by the 1950s, Coca-Cola was selling it in beverage vending machines. These were a lot like the machines of today that you can find in Augusta break rooms and lobbies.
Offer Your Team Refreshing Cold Beverages with Riverside Refreshments
A cold beverage can perk up your team on a hot day while also providing hydration. That’s why they are perfect for your break room. And thanks to cold drink pioneers, there are now many cold beverages to choose from. There are tasty iced teas, cold brew coffee, seltzer water, juice, and energy drinks as well as soda.
Riverside Refreshments can provide your workplace with high-quality break room services that include your favorite cold drinks. Get in touch with Riverside Refreshments today at 706-793-2723 to learn more about our Augusta vending service, micro-markets, and office coffee service. We look forward to bringing the best in beverages to your workplace.