John Pemberton - "Always Coca-Cola"

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:40

The creator of the world-famous Coca-Cola drink did not get rich from his invention. But others have made plain soda a symbol of the American way of life, and they are still making billions of dollars from it. Perhaps the creator of Coca-Cola, John Pemberton, knowing what success awaits his invention, would not have sold the rights to it. But history does not tolerate the subjunctive mood. How did it all start?

War between southerners and northerners

John was born in the south of the country, in the state of Georgia, on July 8, 1831. Life evolved like many millions of people: I grew up, got the profession of a pharmacist, married a good girl, a son was born. And everything would have gone according to a well-known scenario, but in 1861 a civil war broke out in America between the Confederates and the Republicans. John Pemberton fought on the side of the southerners, and rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel. In 1865, at the Battle of Columbus, he received a chest wound from a saber strike.

After that, hislife is no longer the same. Persistent chest pains led Pemberton to become addicted to morphine. But when this ceased to satisfy him, he began to look for a remedy that would anesthetize and tone up. Numerous experiments with different ingredients led John Pemberton to a recipe that he liked.

The Coca-Cola Secret

It was originally a wine-based syrup. At the beginning of the 20th century, such panaceas for all diseases were very successful among the population: potions, rubbing, ointments, etc. These potions were prescribed literally for everything: from insomnia, as a tonic, from sciatica and baldness. In addition, the housewives used them to clean cutlery. One such remedy was "wine Marianne", which included Bordeaux wines and cocaine leaves. At that time, the latter had not yet been banned.

John Pemberton, inspired by this drink, finalized the recipe by adding his own ingredients: cola seeds - a source of caffeine, theobromine and damiana extract, used as an aphrodisiac. The author called his brainchild "Pemberton's French Wine Coca". Only the pharmacist was about to promote his business selling wine coca, as in 1985 Prohibition was introduced in Atlanta. But the enterprising inventor was not at a loss, converting the drink into a non-alcoholic one.

The birth of a legend

May 8, 1886 in the assortment of the pharmacy "Jacobs" appeared a new tonic "Pemberton's Tonic" for migraine, indigestion, nervous disorders, impotence. In addition, the drug was positionedas a means of helping to get rid of morphine and opium addiction. In other words, cocaine, that is, a drug, was supposed to get rid of drug addiction. A more than dubious claim, but it worked then.

Tonic was produced in the form of syrup, it was diluted with water and sold a glass for five cents. A month later, Frank Robinson, who worked as an accountant for Pemberton, wrote in the then fashionable font the name of the drink, which combined two main ingredients. After some time, all the newspapers in Atlanta were advertising "Coca-Cola" on a red background. This logo is over a hundred years old.

One day in November 1886, a man with a severe hangover came into the pharmacy and asked the pharmacist for something tonic. The pharmacist accidentally mixed the syrup not with plain water, but with carbonated water. The client was just delighted. Since then, John Pemberton's Coca-Cola has consistently been sold only carbonated.

Market reality

In the beginning, sales were small, but gradually they grew to a certain size and froze. New marketing moves were needed. But John Pemberton was unable to personally promote the brand. Coca-Cola did not help him get rid of morphine addiction, and the pharmacist's he alth was fading before his eyes. Then he sold his recipe and equipment for 1989 dollars 36 cents to an Irish businessman. And then a few more buyers. All and sundry began to produce syrup.

However, Ace Candler was not going to put up with this state of affairs. Heproved in court his exclusive right to Coca-Cola, since he was the first buyer. It is with his light hand that this drink will subsequently conquer the whole world and bring billions of dollars in revenue to his company. And the creator will die practically in poverty.