National Have a Coke Day
On the heels of Cinco de Mayo , National Beverage Day and National Cosmopolitan Day, May 8 is also about whetting your whistle – it’s National Have a Coke Day! While the origins of this annual holiday are unknown, it’s the perfect excuse to enjoy a sip or two of delicious Coke!
The History of Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola, or Coke, was "invented" by pharmacist Dr. John Pemberton back in the 19th century. His original concoction contained cocaine and kola nut extracts and was marketed as a tonic. Pemberton’s bookkeeper, Frank Robinson, actually came up with the name and wrote it using script lettering, which is still used today. Pemberton sold the drink at a soda fountain for 5 cents a glass but the drink never really took off.
Pemberton died in 1888 and never knew how popular his simple concoction would become. Asa Candler bought the rights to the top-secret recipe for $2,300 in the late 1800s and founded the Coca-Cola Company, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Today, Coke is a popular carbonated soft drink sold and consumed all over the world. The Coca-Cola Company is the “world’s largest” beverage company. In fact, 1.8 billion (with a ‘b’) servings of Coke are served around the world each and every day! Now that’s a lot of Coke!
In honor of National Have a Coke Day, why not indulge in a coke? Cheers!