A couple of years after we moved to Georgia, Barney and I were driving north along the coast in North Carolina (where Barney lived with his family in the mid-1970s) and drove through the town of New Bern, a town we hadn’t heard anything about. Our friend Susan, who lives in Raleigh, told us about Tryon Palace in New Bern, and I knew we’d return. This trip was that occasion. First, though, we needed an early lunch so we headed downtown.
Bern is the old Germanic word for Bear, and the bear on the welcome sign was adopted by New Bern. New Bern is home to the first state capital of North Carolina, Tryon Palace. New Bern was also the first city in America to celebrate George Washington’s birthday.
birthplace of Pepsi-Cola
Across the street and a half a block away was the birthplace of Pepsi-Cola. Of course we had to visit.
history of Pepsi-Cola
I found a book detailing the history of this soda, and I’ll highlight what I found intriguing.
trademark
The Pepsi-Cola trademark was first registered on June 16, 1903, and it was granted as a flavored syrup for soda water. To get this trademark they had to purchase the Pep-Kola from another company that wasn’t using it. Every time a new version of Pepsi trademark is created, it has to be registered on its own.
In the late 1930s, the Coca-Cola Company challenged the validity of Pepsi-Cola’s trademark, claiming it confused their customers. They also claimed that they were the only company that could use the word cola on their trademark.
The formula and trademark are the most valuable assets the Pepsi-Cola Company owns.
the formula
Only a few high-level individuals have access to the soda’s formula; without it, Pepsi-Cola doesn’t exist. Over the years, the formula has changed to reflect the consumers’ taste.
The original formula was created by Caleb Bradham, a druggist here in New Bern who had studied to become a medical doctor. When he passed the pharmacist test in 1895, his test scores were among the highest of those licensed that year. He believed his formula not only tasted good, but it also would be good for those who drank it. As long as he was president of the company, the formula never changed except for one time; in 1910, some of the bottlers wanted to add caffeine. He finally said okay, but only for those bottlers who wanted to make the change.
Eventually the formula purchased in 1931 by Charles Guth who was president of Loft Candies. The formula created by his chemists gave it a taste that Mr. Guth said was “about right.” He wasn’t known for giving high praise to anyone for anything.
The new formula remained the same for almost 20 years, except for during WWII when sugar substitutes had to be used.
A new president of Pepsi-Cola after the war thought the drink was too sweet for the 1950s. In 1953, a new blend was created followed by a new advertising slogan: “The Light Refreshment.” A tagline in 1956 added “Less Filling.”
From the time Tom Elmezzi had updated the formula (he had worked for Pepsi-Cola for years, to his retirement in 1969, he was the only one who had a copy of the formula. When he retired, the policy was changed to make sure more than one copy of the formula was available.
In 1906, the Pure Food and Drug Act ensured that all claims had to be proven.
company growth
While Pepsi-Cola dates back to 1898, the company by that name wasn’t formed until December 30, 1902. In the beginning the company only sold syrup to make the drink at soda fountains. By 1904, they need a larger facility, and Bradham decided it was time to begin selling the drink in bottles.
how Pepsi got its name
No one knows for sure, but a few clues circulate.
Colas were popular everywhere during this time, and people drank them because they were refreshing and enjoyable. He added a cola flavor to his drink so he could call it a cola. He said it was so safe that even children could enjoy it.
Therefore, we have a pepsin cola, or Pepsi-Cola.
other colas
- Dr. Pepper was originally made by pharmacist Charles Alderton while working at Morrison’s Old Corner Drug Store in Waco, Texas, in 1885. (We visited the Dr. Pepper Museum in our 2019 southwest swing, gulf coast, part 15.) Mr. Alderton noticed how patrons loved the sweet smell of the soda fountain and decided to create a drink that tasted like their familiar smell. The drug store owner named it “Dr. Pepper” after a Virginia doctor who was the father of a girl with whom Morrison was once in love.
- For those of you who are Coca-Cola fans, here’s its history. On May 8, 1886, Dr. John Pemberton, also a pharmacist, brought his perfected syrup to Jacob’s Pharmacy in downtown Atlanta where the first glass was poured.
- Pepsi-Cola developed in 1898.
- RC Cola was developed as a bottled drink by pharmacist Claud Hatcher in Columbus, Ga., in 1905, and was sweetened exclusively with cane sugar.
military camp enactment
Looks like a pretty good home to us.
Now onto Tryon Palace.
